"A fossilized nut?": a drawing from Aldrovandi in the Paper Museum of Cassiano dal Pozzo

In the Paper Museum of Cassiano dal Pozzo (1588-1657) at the Royal Library, Windsor (McBurney 1997), one sheet of drawings, RL25526 (Figure 1), is unique within its volume in bearing descriptive captions. 1 They read:"7. Bezaar orientalis colore pallido ad viridem tendente\catal. 9. 264. 8. Nux seu carites cum tegumento substantia durissima\colore ferrugineo obscuro. 9. Fungites colore ferrugineo. 10. Pseudocorallum vel juncus petreus major colore cine [reo]\valde rarus.[7. Oriental bezoar, of pale colour tending to green. catal. 9. 264. 8. Nut or carites with husk, of very hard substance dark rust in colour. 9. Fungites, of a rusty colour. 10. Pseudocoral2 or stone rush3, rather large, ashen in colour, very rare.]"