Birds 1-30

Title Page of the Collection. This is the first page of the original book, containing the author's name and the date of its execution. Represented here is a female Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius), identified by the inscription "PASER SALVTARI" placed on the branch of a tree which overhangs a pastoral scene with a shepherd and his flock. From a branch is suspended a cartouche bordered in green parrot feathers and tassels of gilded peacock plumes, containing the following inscription: DIONISIO MINAGGIO GIARDINERO DE Sa Ea GUBERNADOR DEL STATO DI MILANO INVENTOR ET FECIT LANO DEL 1618 (Dionisio Minaggio, gardener to His Excellency the Governor of Milan was the creator, and he made [this book] in the year 1618). The bird is much damaged, having lost most of its upper bill and many feathers from the head and breast. Notice the base of the tree trunk in the lower right hand corner, where the feathers have been chewed by insects. The shepherd indicates the cartouche with his left hand and carries a long staff in his right. He wears a hat of yellow and orange parrot feathers, hose and sleeves of duck feathers, and doublet made from the ventral feathers of a woodcock, the whole being set off by a belt of blue jay feathers. The meadow is made of various types of plumage including that of parrot, wi1d duck and grey partridge. The three grazing sheep (made of duck feathers) and the shepherd have fragments of spotted feather stuck on to simulate eyes. The number 62 (partially obscured by the matte) is written in pen in the lower left-hand corner.

3 (Minaggio 139) The Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) has sustained some damage to its head and neck feathers although the rest of its plumage and its feet and beak are in excellent condition.

5 (Minaggio 98) The 1arge bird in the tree is a Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) missing most of its head and neck feathers. The small bird, standing on a ground consisting mainly of peacock feathers, is a generalized version of a sandpiper.

7 (Minaggio 89) A Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) whose head and beak have been virtually totally destroyed.

9 (Minaggio 126) The beak of this Gadwall (Anas strepera) is partly covered by the matte framing the picture. The wing and tail feathers and the beak are seriously damaged.

11 (Minaggio 132) A female European Teal (Anas crecca), mistakenly labelled "Garganey Duck" has suffered some damage to the beak and to the head and neck feathers.

13 (Minaggio 134) Part of the beak of this male Garganey Duck (Anas querquedula) is covered by the matte frame. The bird is standing in a pool made mostly of peacock and jay feathers. It has sustained slight damage to the neck and tai1 feathers, where the remains of the outline drawing underneath can be seen. As with most of the pictures, the eye is represented by a series of concentric rings of coloured paper.

15 (Minaggio 119) Except for some slight damage to the beak, this female Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is in excellent condition. It was used for the poster of the Feather Book exhibit held in Milan in 1988/89 for which the catalogue "Il bestiario baroco" was written.

17 (Minaggio 149) A male Shoveler Duck (Anas clypeata) in excellent condition except for the missing tip of the upper mandible.

19 (Minaggio 120) A female Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula), shown in characteristic pose, has suffered some damage to the beak and the feathers of the head and ground.

21 (Minaggio 128) Except for some minor damage to the beak and ground feathers, this male Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) is very well preserved.

23 (Minaggio 118) A male Smew (Mergus albellus) in excellent condition in spite of some minor damage to its webbed feet.

25 (Minaggio 130) This female Smew (Mergus albellus) is in good condition except for the damage to the left foot and the neck feathers.

27 (Minaggio 136) The head and beak of this female Goosander (Mergus merganser) have been almost totally destroyed.

29 (Minaggio 143) The Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus) on the right is missing several talons and has lost most of its head feathers although the skin is still largely intact. The small Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) is in good condition except for the missing beak.