Page Three

By Imperial Order: The Complete Library in Four Sections

original: 欽定四庫全書 (Qinding Siku Quanshu). This indicates the text belongs to the massive 18th-century imperial collection commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.

Volume 49 Table of Contents

This volume focuses on the medicinal properties and natural histories of various bird species.


Magpie from the Records of Famous Physiciansoriginal: 鵲 (Que). Cited from the "Mingyi Bielu," a foundational 3rd-century pharmacological text.	Crow from the Jiayou Materia Medicaoriginal: 烏鴉 (Wuya). This refers to the large black crow or raven.	Jackdaw from the Jiayou Materia Medicaoriginal: 慈鳥 (Ciniao), literally "Compassionate Bird." It is also known as the "Filial Crow" because of the belief that the young feed their elders.	Woodpecker from the Jiayou Materia Medicaoriginal: 啄木鳥 (Zhuomuniao). Noted for its ability to extract insects from wood.	Shrike from the Dietary Materia Medicaoriginal: 鵙 (Ju). A predatory songbird cited from the "Shiwu Bencao," which focuses on food as medicine.	Paradise Flycatcher from the Jiayou Materia Medicaoriginal: 練鵲 (Lianque), literally "Ribbon Magpie," named for the long, ribbon-like tail feathers of the male.	Blackbird from the Supplement to Materia Medicaoriginal: 百舌 (Baishe), literally "Hundred Tongues." It refers to birds like the thrush or blackbird known for mimicking many sounds.	Wagtail from the Tang Materia Medicaoriginal: 鶺鴒 (Jiling). Cited from the "Tang Bencao," the world's first official government-sponsored pharmacopeia (659 AD).