MS M.81, fols. 54v–55r

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Worksop Bestiary

England, possibly in Lincoln or York
ca. 1185
215 x 155 mm

Purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan (1837–1913) in 1902

MS M.81, fols. 54v–55r
Description: 

Bats (left)
Included in the section on birds, the bats here display their distinctive characteristics with membranes spread and four feet.

Raven and Crow (right)
Although shown as strikingly similar, the bestiary tells us that the raven refuses to feed its young until it sees their feathers are the same color as its own, while the crow shown below is described as an exemplary parent.