1992 1st edition. Hancock House Publishers. Surrey, B.C., Canada. 4to. Pp334. Colour plates & b/w illustrations by the author, ads. White boards. Good-plus in slightly used dust-wrapper. Signed by the author.
Notes: Frank Lyman Beebe describes all aspects of falconry in North America in gre at detail. Part I covers the history of falconry. Part II describes the species used in falconry and includes many colour paintings by the author. Sections include; American kestrels, merlins, aplomado falcons, prairie falcons, peregrine falcons, gyrfalcons and sakers, other large falcons, sharp-shinned hawks, goshawks, Cooper's hawks, red-tailed hakws, Harris hawks, ferruginous eagles, golden eagles. Part III describes the Art of Falconry. Sections include; jesses, bells and bewits, leashes, hoods, lawn blocks and perches, interior perches, gloves, lures, bags or vests, catching wild raptors, the falconer's first bird, aviary raptors, care of raptors, food, feathers, bills and talons, regulations, disease and injury, attacks and accidents, training, field falconry. Part IV is entitled My Falconry and deals in some detail with the author's own experiences and opinions. This part includes, amongst others; hunting in Southwestern Canada; hunting birds, hunted birds, the spoilers, waterfowl hawking; upland game bird hawking; hill hawking - chukar, goshawk to goshawk; grouse; gyrfalcons - ducks, flushing, the flight; the new direction - domestication of the raptors. This is a classic in its field, by a man of immense experience and talent. Well worth the outlay, even for falconers who only intend buying half a dozen books in a lifetime.
