Cookie Control

This site uses cookies to store information on your computer.

Some cookies on this site are essential, and the site won't work as expected without them. These cookies are set when you submit a form, login or interact with the site by doing something that goes beyond clicking on simple links.

We also use some non-essential cookies to anonymously track visitors or enhance your experience of the site. If you're not happy with this, we won't set these cookies but some nice features of the site may be unavailable.

(One cookie will be set to store your preference)
(Ticking this sets a cookie to hide this popup if you then hit close. This will not store any personal information)

About this tool

About Cookie Control
  1. Discover
  2. Paper: 'Treasure of Knowledge'
  3. Unit: Nature and Death

Pierre Belon, 'De aquatilibus, Libri duo' (1553)

External links

Belon's Monkfish (uncoloured), University of Notre Dame
Sea Monks and other Page Frights, Biodiversity Heritage Library
Thomas Browne, 'Notes and Letters on the Natural History of Norfolk' (full text)

Commentary

Pierre Belon, 'De aquatilibus, Libri duo' (1553)
Collection: 
Fellows' Library, Winchester College

Full Title: Pierre Belon, De aquatilibus, Libri duo (Paris, 1553) 

De aquatilibus is a description and categorisation of 185 aquatic animals and fish published by the French naturalist, Pierre Belon (1517–64). As the woodcut illustration displayed here shows, Belon fell victim to an urban legend popular at the time relating to the identity and appearance of the monkfish. Browne owned several of Belon’s works, and drew on them extensively in his Notes and Letters on the Natural History of Norfolk.