TRAITE DE FAUCONNERIE. By H. Schlegel and A.H. Verster de Wulverhorst.

(1844-53) 1973 new edition. Folio (310 x 240mm). Ppviii,115,ii,90,viii. 16 b/w plates, mostly by Josef Wolf. Green textured cloth (faux leather), spine and upper board titled in gilt.

"The finest work on falconry which has ever been produced". J.E. Harting. The research into the history of falconry has never been rivalled in scope or accuracy by any book written before or since. Less than one hundred copies were originally published, in three parts between 1844 and 1853, of which only about fifty copies are known to have survived. This is the first time that the book has been reprinted, accompanied here by a new translation into English by Thomas J. Hanlon. Chapters include: The terminology of falconry; The instruments of falconry; The birds used for hawking; High-flying birds; The White Falcon; The Iceland Falcon; The Gerfalcon; The Saker; The Lanner; The Alphanet or Tunisian Lanner; The Falcon; The Merlin; Falcons of Europe not used for hawking; The Hobby; The Sapphire Falcon; The Kestrel; The Kestrelette; The Red-Footed Falcon; The Goshawk; The Sparrowhawk; Various foreign low-flying birds; The Alethe; The Hawk-Eagles; Capturing hunting birds; Caring for hunting birds; The education and training of hunting birds; The manner of hawking and the various flights used in Europe; The history of hawking; The origin of falconry; Falconry in Asia; Falconry in America; Falconry in Africa; Falconry in Europe; Falconry in France; Falconry among the Italians, the Spanish and the Portuguese; Falconry in England; Falconry among the Germans; Falconry in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; Falconry in Russia; Falconry at the court of the Byzantine emperors; Falconry in the Low Countries; Falconry in modern times; Descriptive bibliography of works on falconry; Explanation of the plates which accompany this work. This edition reproduces both the English text and the original text in French.