The Goal of the Wise

Significant water damage in the upper center and right portions of the page, partially obscuring the text in the second column.

A series of ornithological illustrations in the margins and at the bottom of the page.
In the left margin, two dark birds with white markings on their underbellies are shown in flight.
In the right margin, six individual wading birds, possibly herons or cranes, are depicted in various standing and walking profiles.
At the bottom of the page is a large landscape scene: to the left is a walled, rectangular pool containing two swimming ducks and several tadpoles or small fish; above and to the right of the pool, four ducks fly in a diagonal formation; in the bottom right corner, a large shorebird (likely a plover or wading bird) stands on the ground.

There are indeed, regarding the diversity of these [birds] by which they live in the waters, diversities of waters. Those at least that go outside the waters proceed to feed: those that are said to go out during the day: and wherever they go out to feed: they return from the pastures to the water: and in what order: and to what places: and how they return to the water: and how they stand in the waters resting.

Aquatic birds that go out outside the waters to feed by day go out: and this is common to all lineatis lined/marked aquatic birds, except for some that have such revolved movements and modest flight that, for the fear they have of birds of prey, they do not dare to fly by day. Neither to change waters, nor near their pasture.

Concerning the nocturnal exit of flight, [there is] a mode of mergonum divers, and fulicanum coots/water-fowl, and many of them that have poor flight. At certain hours of the day, however, aquatic [birds] go out to feed: and at certain hours they return from the pastures. For in the morning, around sunrise, they go out to feed and stay in the pastures until the third hour: and sometimes less: and sometimes more. For when the day is sweltering, they stay less.

And when it is cloudy and not sweltering, they stay longer.? Around the third hour?, however, they return to the waters: where they remain until? they rest until before the ninth hour: and then again they go out to feed. And they remain in the pastures until after sunset. And then they return a second time to the waters, resting in them the whole night: they anticipate before the hours of going out and returning through intention and the remission of heat in the day, as predicted.

Many also of this kind of aquatic [bird] procure [food] sometimes by feeding outside the waters, especially with the splendor of the moon: and of this kind are wild anseres geese, which are large birds and truthful, they eat herbs, and they keep watch, some acting in the manner of noctuarum owls calling? with the light of the moon: this, however, they do mostly when the nights are long: for the food they have taken during the day does not suffice them.

It must be known, however, that domesticated anseres geese that are even smaller, in feeding or flying, mix themselves with wild anseres geese. And none of them remain with the domestic ones, just as many of the domesticis domesticated ones move away with them and become agrestes wild/field birds. For it is easier to return to nature than to retain custom: by the benefit of bread.