1 1 4 BOOKS ON FAL CONR Y. 



(No. 129), puts the date of its composition at 1325 (op. cit. 



P- 154)- 



Apart from its antiquity the Libro de la Caza is to be 

 commended for its intrinsic merit, and for the literary beauty 

 of the author's style. Don Jose Gutierrez thus writes in glowing 

 terms of it: — "Pues bien el Libro de la Caza, conservando la 

 forma didactica en que tanto sobresalio el docto magnate, 

 brilla por su estilo oriental tan del gusto de los escritores de la 

 Edad Media. Sus cuentos y sus descripciones son verdader- 

 amente admirabiles : su lenguaje es culto y pintoresco .... 

 Por eso en el Libro de la Caza se ve al escritor castizo, se lee el 

 narrador florido, y se refleja el venador entusiastica, que parece 

 inspirarse en la sublime majestad del monte, en el delicado per- 

 fume de las flores, y en el dulci'simo canto de las aves " {Discurso 

 sobre los Libros de Cetreria, pp. xxix.-xxx.). 



Divided into twelve chapters, the work is composed upon a 

 plan which many subsequent writers on Falconry have adopted. 

 The nature of falcons is first discussed,* with a notice of the 

 various species trained for hawking. We are then instructed how 

 to know a good hawk by its size, shape, plumage, etc. (cap. iii.), 

 how to tame those which are caught wild, and how to bring up 

 those which are taken from the nest (cap. iv.), how to tame a 

 heron-hawk (cap. vi.), how to moult hawks (cap. ix.), to give 

 them their first meal of the day (cap. x.), and to remedy the 

 maladies to which they are subject (cap xi,), while the last 

 chapter describes the different sorts of flights, and the best 

 localities for the sport. This is a most interesting chapter. 

 The district of Chincella, within the Bishopric of Cartagena, is 

 said to abound in lakes and wild-fowl, and Villena the best 

 place in the whole of Murcia for every sort of flight ; herons, 

 ducks, and cranes, with falcons, and (with goshawks) partridges, 

 and quails, and other birds called flamingoes {Jla?nenques), which 

 are beautiful birds and very good for hawking, though very hard 

 to get out of the water [fervtosas aves et jnuy ligeras para cazar, 

 sinon porque son viuy graves de sacar del aqim). From this 

 chapter one is enabled to form a good idea of the sport enjoyed 

 by Spanish falconers during the early part of the fourteenth 

 century. 



For some account of the life and works of Don Juan Manuel, 

 see the French translation of " El Conte Lucanor," by Adolphe 



