Hermes’ little bird

Meaning

Phrase.

Normalized phrase for the printed aviculae Hermetis. The little bird is said never to rest and to be commonplace yet indispensable; it gathers the epithets of our heaven, water, Mercury, nitrous salt, sulphur and other names. The catalogue presents one hidden subject through many expressions. It does not narrate an ordinary bird species or supply a settled modern material identification.