Vlyssis Aldrovandi philosophi ac medici Bononiensis historiam naturalem in gymnasio Bononiensi profitentis, Ornithologiae, hoc est, De avibus historiae libri XII ... : cum indice septendecim linguarum copiosissimo
Ornithologiae, by the Bolognese naturalist and physician Ulisse Aldrovandi, was printed in Bologna in 1599 by Francesco de Franciscis for scholars and naturalists, with woodcut bird illustrations attributed to the artist Lorenzo Bennini. Its pictures show single birds in profile, perched on bare twigs or rocks beside sprigs of leaves and berries, drawn in fine parallel hatching with plain outlines. A designer might take from them a clear, scientific way of rendering plumage texture and simple botanical accents.
