INTRO D UCTJON. 



the more useful books in different languages, for it is not to 

 be supposed that they are all of equal merit. On the con- 

 trary, many of them are of no practical value at the present 

 day, and are mere literary curiosities, interesting only from 

 their rarity, or as early specimens of printing and engraving. 

 Amongst these may be mentioned " The Book of St. Albans " 

 (No. i);* "The Institution of a Gentleman," 1555 (No. 10); 

 Maplet's "Greene Forest," 1567 (No. 11); Swan's Speculum 

 Mundi, 1635 (No. 26); Stevenson's "Twelve Moneths,".i66i 

 (No. 32) ; Hicfelt's Aucupatorium Herodiorum, 1450 (No. 

 88) ; Eberhard Tapp's Waidwerck und Federspiel, 1 542 (No. 

 93); Pomey's Buchlein, 1671 (No. 98); Le Livre du Rot 

 Modus, i486 (No. 138); Le Rot Dancus, 1284 (No. 139); 

 Le Livre du Faulcon, i486 (No. 140) ; and others. Yet 

 these are all book rarities, and command high prices when 

 they occur for sale. 



Again, many books are included in this Bibliotheca Accipi- 

 traria which do not relate exclusively to Falconry ; such, 

 for instance, as the works of Gervase Markham (Nos. 3—8) 

 and William Gryndall (No. 13); "The Jewel for Gen trie " 

 (No. 17); and "The Gentleman's Recreation," by Nicholas 

 Cox (Nos. 37-39) and Richard Blome (No. 41) ; as also cer- 

 tain Encyclopaedias. But as these contain important sections, 

 or articles, on the practice of Falconry, it would have been 

 manifestly unwise to omit mention of them. 



Of compilations, not always acknowledged, and translations, 

 there are naturally a good many, but the critical notes ap- 

 pended to the titles of these will put the reader on his guard 

 against attaching undue importance to them, however in- 

 dispensable they may seem to the collector of books on 

 Hawking. 



Those who may be disposed to take up the subject 

 seriously, if they know nothing about it already, will be 

 naturally perplexed if offered a choice of nearly four hundred 

 volumes. It may be well, therefore, to indicate those which 

 will be found of most use at the present day, including, on 



* The history and practical value of the treatise on Hawking, which forms 

 part of the " Book of St. Albans,'' is minutely examined in No. 79, pp. 96-108. 



