De Avibus. Page 212 1551 - 1587

"De Avibus" is a detailed illustration of a heron, a type of wading bird, from the 1551-1587 publication "Historiae animalium" by Swiss naturalist Conrad Gesner. The woodcut depicts the bird's distinctive long legs, sharp beak, and feathered body. The image is part of Gesner's larger work, which was a groundbreaking attempt to compile all known knowledge of the natural world. This illustrated encyclopedia played a significant role in the development of natural history as a field of study and is now considered a masterpiece of Renaissance scientific art.