Bitten by the snake of learning
John Ray and the cunning craftsmanship of nature
A momentous decision
Continental journey: the Low Countries
Images of Central Europe
Italian sophistication and Spanish desolation
Back at Middleton
Curious about birds, illness and death
Into the light: publication
A sustained finale: Willughby's buzzard takes flight
Acknowledgements
Appendix 1: A timeline of Francis Willughby's life
Appendix 2: Brief biographies of the principal players in Willughby's life
Appendix 3: The story of Willughby's charr
Appendix 4: Identification of birds listed on page 61 and named in the Ornithology.