Worksop Bestiary
ca. 1185
England, possibly in Lincoln or York
215 x 155 mm
MS M.81, fols. 57v–58r
Purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan (1837–1913) in 1902
Catalog link
Duck (left)
This cheerful duck illustrates an entry explaining that the word “duck” in Latin (anas) is connected to the fact that they are constantly swimming (natare).
Bees (right)
Categorized as birds, the giant bees shown here were presented to medieval readers as exemplary animals that worked hard for the benefit of community and king.