There are four parts to this manuscript, with the first three related to the Tuscan Bestiary (also known as Libro della natura degli animali). This Tuscan Bestiary manuscript is designated Lo.

1. Folio 1r-21v: The Tuscan Bestiary. It is illustrated with 43 small brown, green and red water-color drawings of animals (some are missing); the drawings are mostly portraits with the animals not displaying their usual attributes. Folios 8, 9 (end of weasel; all of caladrius, siren, asp, four creatures, tiger) and 19 (end of elephant; all of parrot; start of partridge) are missing. Explicit Finito i libro di la natura digli animal.
2. Folio 22r-25v: Animal fables. The fables are illustrated in the same style and by the same artist as for the bestiary. These fables are often combined with the bestiary, and are sometimes considered part of it, though in this manuscript the bestiary and fables are divided by a bestiary explicit and a fable incipit. Some of the fable animals are also found in the bestiary.
3. Folio 26r-36r: Additional animal chapters, some of which are derived from the encyclopedia of Bartholomaeus Anglicus, De proprietatibus rerum. The chapters are illustrated in the same style and by the same artist as for the bestiary. This is one of three manuscripts to include this part; the others are Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Chig.M.VI.137 (Ch1) and Bibliothèque Nationale de France, ital. 450 (P).
4. Folio 36v-61v: Fiore di virtù. It is not related to the Tuscan Bestiary, and is not illustrated. Part of it is missing at the end.

Additional Descriptions

Additional description

Editions and Facsimiles

Printed editions

Davide Checchi, Libro della natura degli animali : bestiario toscano del secolo 13. : edizione critica (2020)

Digital facsimiles

Wellcome Collection