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FALCONRY AND HUNTING IN ARABIA. By Faris Al-Timimi. Hancock House Washington, Publishers and Blaine USA. 2007: 320 pages, 442 photographs. ISBN 978-097388-530-9. $120.00 (cloth).--l-Timimi became a veterinarian with the University of Baghdad and for many years operated a clinic for trained falcons in Qatar, and more recently in Saudi Arabia. His purpose, as a non-falconer, is always to reveal traditional customs and attitudes of Arab falconers, along with the nature of the hunting falcons and their quarry. The narrative often rambles, and topics are only loosely assorted by chapter, and often not at all by paragraph. This unusual style could be excused because English is not really the author's primary language. Chapters add a historical account of hunting in Arabia (but with few dates), the type of Arab hunters (really a description of methods they begin falconry), an exhaustive description of the falcons (mainly Saker [Falco cherrug] and Peregrine [F. peregrinus] falcons), and a graphically illustrated chapter on diseases (often worse-case examples) of captive falcons. Plastic "astroturf", from the type frequently used as doormats, was introduced to Arabia (in Dubai) like a covering on falcon perches. Not so much as it allows ventilation under the feet, as being the author asserts, but for the reason that many plastic fingers cushion the feet and distribute the extra weight from the sedentary falcon more evenly, reducing pressure on prominent areas, and enhancing vascular circulation, it cut down tremendously the incidence of disastrous infections on the bottom of the feet. Another interesting but seemingly unrelated chapter describes Arab expeditions to Somalia in 1982 and Sudan in 1983. The key reason for the latter was apparently to get antelope including oryx (Oryx spp.), addax (Addax nasomaculatus), and gazelle (Gazella spp.) for private zoos in Qatar. The expeditions are illustrated by 44 color photos, almost all of that happen to be of antelope. There exists a chapter on taming and initial training of falcons. In pattern, these techniques usually are not unlike those found in the West, apart from the miserable practice of making use of one particular suture, through both lower eyelids, passed over the top of head and linked with hold them up, preventing the falcon from seeing its new surroundings. Western falconers utilize a hood (probably exposed to the West by Arabs in the Crusades) extensively from the first days of training to obtain the same purpose without likelihood of tearing and scarring the eyelids.

Arab falconry involves only falcons; hawks are rarely used. Sakers are preferred to chase Houbara Bustards (Chlamydotis undulata) in direct flight in the falconer's glove. Female Peregrines are utilized less often but have grown to be most popular. First, year migrant falcons tend to be more prevalent, but adults (haggards) of both species are trapped and trained. Peregrines are apparently more fragile than Sakers and their monetary value plummets following the hunting season as they do not endure well with the long molt (Mar-Oct). Sakers tend to be more durable in doing what this writer calls "harsh" treatment by Arab falconers. Outstanding hunters are retained from season to season. Unwanted falcons can be purchased at greatly reduced rates or set free, the second to uncertain fates. In Arab falconry there may be great emphasis on the appearance of each falcon, especially Sakers. As with the similar Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), Sakers have immense plumage variation. Pale folks are highly prized, dark birds a lttle bit less so, not only that there are the normal individuals. This writer maintains that plumage pattern and color are unrelated to performance, as opposed to the widely held superstitions of Arab falconers. There are far more than 178 color photographs of captive falcons from the chapter "The Arabs as well as their Hunting Falcons", many of them full-

page. Several of the birds are hooded. Included are photos of a few dozen Saker and Gyrfalcon study skins held from the British Museum. Saker pattern and color variants come from different regions and are different "forms". That's the assumption. Unfortunately, the living birds and most of the skins were from wintering areas and sniper scope may not reveal regional patterns in nesting areas. The writer, Al-Timimi, maintains that falconry in Arabia is already the "sport" of a big proportion in the population, commoner and royalty alike. Falconry was certainly practiced amongst the nomads (Bedouin) and, after WW II, grew in favor one of the royal families whose wealth created huge collections of trained falcons in addition to their caretakers. During the last two decades, no doubt several a huge number of falcons were in captivity in the Guff Region in virtually any year. A couple of thousand wild Saker and Peregrine falcons were supplied by dealers each and every year to exchange the losses, because of high turnover in the captive population. Dealers in Pakistan, Iraq and Syria and Iran smuggled falcons towards the Arabian Peninsula, sometimes with poor outcomes for the birds. Dealers have expanded their pursuit of falcons all over the whole of Central Asia, east to China where Sakers are many. The writer fails to conceal the conservation concerns, but he provides only his impressions, and few data. Overall, the circumstance is changing. Not too much because of increased effectiveness in hunting, but because the majority are phenomenally handsome, specifically in the eye area of sheikhs who pay great prices just to get them inside their collection, captive-bred gyr and Gyrfalcons-hybrids with Peregrine and Saker falcons have become greatly in popularity. These captive-bred falcons are imported legally from your West with the hundreds annually. But simultaneously, a lot of those who is able to pay the costs have become distracted by involvement with their exploding economies. Falconry seems to be on the decline on the list of entitled families. And there are the "poor Houbara". They now migrate in to the Peninsula so rarely a sheikh may pay a huge reward for info on the whereabouts of merely one to hunt. Further, as photos within the book show, Pakastani trappers net hundreds, aiming to smuggle these people to the Peninsula where they are utilised as live lures to exercise falcons. Apparently, many die in transit. Houbara populations have crashed, and then there are few alternate species the Arabs desire to hunt. Arabs happen to be compelled to mount, at great cost, large hunting expeditions for Houbara to regions from Libya to Pakistan.

It gives considerable insight into just how falconry works in Arabia, even if this book will not likely likely function as a sniper scope reference. These workings are markedly distinct from those who are in the West. Many North American falconers will not use falcons, but use hawks instead. On looking over this account, falconers within the West sniper scope who actually hunt making use of their birds, will come to more deeply appreciate their situation. I am just happy for the wide range of raptors Western falconers use, the abundances of quarry that match the raptors and the abilities of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sniper_rifle falconers, the commitments of your falconers perfectly from the art, the fine veterinary care available, and also the many regulations that effectively govern uses of our raptor and prey resources, as a life-long falconer. I thank J. D. Remple for comments for this review.--JAMES H. ENDERSON, Professor Emeritus, Colorado College