To explore the image, simply click the image to zoom, double-click to zoom out, or click-drag to pan. You can also zoom in and out using the mouse scroll wheel.
(Alt is Option on Macintosh)
The thumbnail view in the top left can also be clicked or click-dragged to pan.
Use the Toolbar for exact navigation - if using a mouse, hold it over any button to see a helpful tip.
These sections are located below the image on each page, scroll down page and click on the tabs to view them. It is also possible to view the translation alongside the image by clicking the translation icon in the toolbar
It is not part of the project to provide a definitive edition of the text of the Bestiary, but to help readers by providing a transcription and translation of the text. Currently the following editorial conventions obtain:
The bat. The jay, a talkative bird.
Portrait of the bat.
Compared with many other bestiary illustrations, this is a fairly accurate ventral view of a bat whose wings are shown as a membrane stretching from its three fingers down to its toes and tail. Its furry face has the typically uncanny human look. The artist has realised that the flight membrane joins the fingers, legs and tail even though there should be five fingers with four supporting the wing. It is classified as a bird because of its wings rather than as a mammal because of its fur. The bat has been pricked for pouncing. The illustration of the jackdaw has been excised.
The jay, a chattering bird. Some men are not suited to be monks.