318 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



sport might dictate, and camping out on the glorious snow-clad 

 cordilleras. 



Their subjects, as they tell us in their Preface, are the wild- 

 life and ferae, natures of the Peninsula, including in the latter 

 expression, by a slight stretch of the term, the brigand and the 

 gipsy, with remarks on agriculture as cognate and supplementary. 

 As far as convenient, the sequence of chapters follows the changes 

 of the season, commencing with spring time. Hence the earlier 

 part of the book is more concerned with Natural History — though 

 the pursuit of Ibex and Bustard may be followed in spring — while 

 the latter half is more exclusively devoted to sport. 



Long residence in Spain afforded opportunities which are not 

 available to the ordinary traveller, and this was especially the 

 case with sport, of which at times the authors have enjoyed some 

 of the best that Spain affords. But it should be remarked that 

 many of the shooting campaigns described have been on private 

 and preserved ground ; and while they naturally select the more 

 fortunate records, they pass over in silence many a blank day. 



It is as well to bear in mind that in Spain nearly all ground 

 on which large game is found is preserved, with the exception of 

 remote parts of the sierras, where Wild-boar and Roe-deer may 

 be shot, and those higher mountain ranges which form the home 

 of Ibex and Chamois. While indicating in general terms the 

 distribution of the various game and other animals, the authors 

 have in many instances prudently abstained from naming precise 

 localities. 



From this it will be gathered that the account here given of 

 natural history and sport in Spain is the outcome of considerable 

 experience, and that, so far as it goes, therefore, it is perfectly 

 reliable. More than this, it is of an extremely varied and 

 interesting nature, as a mere glance through the contents is 

 sufficient to show. 



After an account of Andalusia and its mountain ranges, we 

 have a description of a boar-hunt in the sierras, and another of 

 some "big-days" with Bustard. These are excellent, as are also 

 the illustrations which accompany them. The history of the 

 " fighting bull" of Spain, that is, of the animal used in the bull* 

 fights, the various breeds, and mode of rearing, will be of interest 

 to those who take an interest in cattle, though they may not see 

 any good reason for upholding the national sport. 



