So begins the fourteenth book of the Natural and General History of the Indies, Islands and Mainland of the Ocean Sea, which addresses the birds.

Translated by Yuming Ren ’21

Continuing the Natural and General History of the Indies, it is important to mention those birds found on these islands that are similar to the ones in our Spain and Europe. Once this is done, I will write especially about those birds that to my knowledge are not found there, and if they are, I will mention the differences between them. The truth is that I will be adding many things to this present book about the birds, as well as to the preceding ones, where I have addressed land animals and fish, and to the others included in this first part when the second and third parts addressing matters concerning the Mainland are written. But now I want to write a brief and new account about the birds that are seen on the journey from Spain to these Indies and back; I will then discuss other matters in particular so as to record the things that are worthy of memory in greater order, because everything is very new to those who do not sail or to those who have only sailed the Italian seas and the Flanders Channel and other small gulfs.