The Goal of the Wise

A rectangular miniature at the top left shows two long-legged, long-necked birds, likely storks or herons, in a marshy landscape. One bird catches a frog in its beak, while another frog and a snake rest on the ground nearby. The scene is set against a simple green and blue background representing land and water.

often beetles, rantos frogs. Certain birds eat fish, worms, and reptiles, namely snakes, and they also eat from the walking creatures: lizards, frogs, amires a type of amphibian or lizard, and the like, which might be poisonous to humans and many animals; these are the ways of the herons.

in common marshes

Concerning their departure, however, for those that are clean and without intermediate dwellings, and how they can stay in grazing places for a medium hour, or in an indefinite hour, namely in the morning or at any hour, and stay the whole day in grazing places, as those which are known as celini small wading birds, vanelli lapwings, and the like.

A small illustration shows a single heron standing in a blue pool of water, holding a fish in its beak.

But those that have power in the day, namely those that have a dwelling and a refuge near water, just as the active ones like cranes, they return to the water twice. And those that remain on the ground and have more refuge on the ground, similarly, they go out from their dwellings to the pastures twice a day, like storks. But when they do not dare to go out by day, they fly at night, for they fear being seized by birds of prey, such as hawks and the like.

Chapter concerning the departure of the intermediate [birds] to graze and concerning the state of them in the grazing places

The manner of departing is manifold, for some of the intermediate [birds]

A vertical column of small square and circular vignettes shows various aquatic birds, including a goose and a blue wader, duck-like birds, and shells and mollusks in the water.

A miniature at the top right depicts three herons or storks; two stand on a green mound while one is in flight above them.

are gathered together, except in the time of hatching, as cranes dwell, or many lapwings, and the like. I know indeed that just as storks, which are accustomed to standing solitarily, they do not return to the hawks. Sometimes they go to the pastures, but indeed confusedly and without order; I speak of this manner of the birds, such as hawks and the like.

Concerning the return

All [birds] indeed, concerning the intermediate [birds] that are created in their state, [return] according to the diversity of their dwellings in the diversity of the seasons. Generally, however, all go to the places in which they abound, from which they live, each species according to the manner of the wings from which they live; however, it is specifically said below when it is said where they can be found, when birds of prey must be cast at such birds.

But they return

An illustration of three birds: two small waders standing on the ground and one bird in flight.

from the others to their dwellings for spending the night there, so that they may be safe from wild beasts, besides which they may sleep and rest more securely. Lapwings and many more often sleep in the fields through the night. Storks, however, [go] to towers, or trees, or other high places. Cranes, however, to the water, just as they are also watered. And universally all birds return to the dwellings which the mother chose in hatching; for she chose the

A detailed illustration of a tall stone tower with a crenellated top. Inside the top section, a stork sits on a large nest. Below the tower on the right, two blue birds are shown near a grassy patch, one standing and one resting.