INTRODUCTION. 



"Subseciva qutedam tempora incurrunt qure ego perire non patior." — Cicero. 



Falconry, like other field sports, has its literature. It would 

 be strange if it were not so ; for on turning over the pages of 

 the world's history, it is apparent that for centuries it has 

 played a conspicuous part amongst the diversions of people of 

 all nations. 



But the literature of the subject has been much neglected. 

 The older treatises in all languages have become scarce and 

 costly, and of the rest the booksellers are unable to supply, or 

 even to name, a tithe of them. This, perhaps, is partly due 

 to the circumstance that no Bibhography of Falconry, having 

 any claim to completeness, exists. It cannot be said that no 

 such work has been attempted ; for in 1853 the late Professor 

 Schlegel, of Leyden, appended to his splendid Traite de Fau- 

 connerie a Catalogue Raisonne of such books on the subject as 

 were known to him ; while since that date has appeared the 

 Bibliographie de la Chasse of M. Souhart, in which Falconry, 

 although by no means adequately treated, has received some 

 share of attention. 



Long prior to the publication of these two works the 

 Catalogues of Kreysig (1750), Lallemant Freres (1763), and 

 Lastri (1787) included the titles of books on Hawking, as 

 well as of those relating to other branches of the Chase ; while 

 since their appearance, Hsts, varying in length and importance, 

 have been printed by Baudrillart, Hammer- Purgstall, Riesen- 

 thal, and Senores Uhagon and Leguina. Of these the most 



