Musaeum Tradescantium

Secondhand book find of the last few days (in the excellent little bookroom off the shop at Lewes Castle, in Sussex) – a facsimile reprint of Musaeum Tradescantium, the 1656 catalogue of the private museum and botanical garden belonging to John Tradescant the younger, the famous gardener and plant collector. My favourite section is the one headed 'Fourfooted Beasts, with some Hides, Hornes, Hoofs'. It begins 'Lions head and teeth'; further on are some fine exotic items, including:

Hares head, with rough horns three inches long.
...
A natural Dragon, above two inches long.
...
Monoceros horne.
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Caput Equinum petrificatum. [The petrified head of a horse.]
...
Divers Horns answering to those, by Authors attributed to the Ibex, Gazella, Hippelaphus, Tragelaphus, Cervus palmatus, Camelopardalis, &c.

Under 'Some Fishes and their parts' Tradescant lists the head, teeth and 'pissle' of a 'Sea Horse', as well as 'Unicornu[m] marinum' [the marine unicorn].

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