The Goal of the Wise

The left margin features a vertical column of six finely detailed ornithological illustrations of birds, including various species of waders and ducks. The right margin contains two similar illustrations of ducks. At the bottom of the page is a large landscape scene depicting a pond with several species of waterfowl swimming and others flying above in a "V" formation. On the right bank of the pond, two larger birds are depicted: a black stork or ibis with a red beak and a white stork.

However, not only birds but many animals converse with humans. Others, however, according to the mode of swimming and of certain intermediate [birds], do not provide to go out to the pastures through the night because they are birds of modest vision that feed on the roots of herbs and the like, which they cannot see at night: even with the splendor of the moon: like many penniculi small-feathered birds/perhaps a type of water rail and species of gruttum cranes. Ducks, indeed, and circelle teals and others that feed do not attend to good vision of flesh, but feed all day in places where there is water.

From the aforesaid, it is clear how often they return from the pastures. They associate also in this order: on those days, they take themselves in two parts into the pastures, and in the remaining middle part, they rest in the waters. Truly, for the hours of the night, they stand in the waters, and thus they make one part of the whole night: whence they go out twice in the day to the pastures and return twice from the pastures.

The mode, however, which they have in going out and returning, is manifold. For some gather with others of the same species and go out and return divided into many flocks, following others successively, as if in a double order of lines joining themselves into an angle.

Rarely, however, or never do they associate without a mode. Indeed, in going out, a few are thus in going out, geese with the large ones. Ducks also [are] less. Teals, indeed, even parents of [offspring] are more rare. And there are two of the whole genus in the pastures or outside; they are hoped for more rarely in the same place. And when they came with them and follow with [their] teeth likely referring to the serrated edges of their bills, then [there are] very few in the waters.

Afterward, however, they will immediately separate? themselves from the waters and when they want to [go] to others of their kind. Others, however, were there in the midst and would consume their pasture and without order turn to the other. Sometimes singly or [a] few [do] these modes. These, indeed, come to the middle, already certainties, which are not to be wondered at?, for which they need admonition, they prepare to fly, [and] swallow their head. For they swallow the grain itself and without grace, and whether they eat fish or worms, they swallow [both] flying and non-flying [prey] so quickly that if other birds that live from these see this, where the bird might not be able to take [it] away as swiftly as those that had swallowed it first. They do not care to feed solitarily. But they fly in association and feed with others of their species. Chapter concerning the order of their exit to feed.