This comprehensive manual on early taxidermy was published in London in 1884, and is much sought after by modern taxidermists for its wealth of detail and historical content. The author was curator of the Town Museum, Leicester, and considered to be one of England's foremost taxidermists. He intended this book... "to be an introduction to a delightful art, which must be wooed with patient determination and loving pains until technical skill invests it with beauty." Read Country Books has now re-published "Practical Taxidermy" in its entirety, using the original text, woodcuts and engravings. Its 368 pages are divided into sixteen detailed chapters: - The Rise and Progress of Taxidermy. - Decoying and Trapping Animals. - Necessary Tools. - Preservative Soaps, Powders, etc. - Skinning and Preserving Birds. - Skinning and Preserving Mammals. - Modelling of Animals by Substitution of Clay, Composition, Plaster Casts, or Wax for Loose Stuffing. - Skinning, Preserving, and Mounting Fish. - Skinning, Preserving and Mounting Reptiles. - Dressing and Softening Skins or Fur as Leather. - Relaxing and Cleaning Skins - "Making-Up" from Pieces. - Colouring Bills and Feet of Birds, Bare Skin of Mammals, Fishes, etc. - Making Skeletons of Animals. - Egg Collecting and Preserving. - Cases, Mounts, Shields, Cabinets, Rockwork, Ferns, Grasses, Sea-Weeds etc, for "Fitting-Up." - Artistic Mounting, Modelled Foliage Screens, Lamps, Natural History Jewellery, etc. - Collecting and Preserving Insects. - The Pictorial Arrangement of Museums. Etc. This previously rare book will prove to be a valuable addition to the library of all dedicated taxidermists. Many of the earliest sporting books, particularly thosedating back to the 1800s, are now extremely scarce and very expensive. Read Country Books are reprinting these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions. These editions are republished using the original text and artwork.

The Fly As An Art Form The purpose of this book is twofold: to trace the evolution of realistic fly tying and to feature the creations of the world's most-skilled practitioners of this art form. Some of these contemporary artisans concentrate on imitations of aquatic insects most likely seen by fly fishers. Their focus is on mayflies, caddisflies and stoneflies. For others, the sky is the limit and they tie replicas of anything, including praying mantis, crabs, bees, hornets, ants, spiders, and fish. Theirs is a small, but expanding, cadre of enthusiastic tyers whose work will astonish even those who have never tied a fly. The realism of their fly patterns, whether an art form destined for framed presentation, or a working fly intended for the end of a fly leader, will amaze.

The M9 has been the United States Army's standard bayonet for over two decades - with no plans in sight to replace it. In fact, it is already the longest serving American bayonet, joining the M-16 as an enduring symbol of the American soldier. Without exaggeration, it has become an icon of the American Army in much the same way as the Gladius became symbolic of the Roman Legions. This book chiefly focuses on the M9, its manufacturers, evolution, variations, accessories, and collectability with the objective to spotlight only those M9s of military issue. Beyond that, the intention is to provide fellow collectors with a reference and a tool that will enhance their collecting experience through objective data as well as personal knowledge and experience. There is no other bayonet in all of American military history which possesses such a one of a kind individualism while at the same time displaying so obvious an American personality of design as the M9!

Experienced bow builders and practical archaeologists describe the history, evolution, and construction of European style longbows in the revised second edition of this engaging book. For the beginner, clear, uncomplicated instructions are offered, including updated descriptions of construction techniques, tools, materials, and shooting styles. For more advanced bowyers there are tips on choosing wood and adhesive, and explanations of the evolution/adaptation of bow design, including precise dimensions for replicating special historic bow types, from Stone Age bows to modern laminated longbows. This book also offers comprehensive instructions on how to properly test your newly built longbow and construct arrows. This guide is ideal for the bow hunter, bowyer, and marksman looking for a new challenge.

Originally published in 1940, this book is a detailed manual for sea-fishing from the shore. It contains much useful instruction and advice, along with clear diagrams and illustrations. This book is still of great practical use to today's fisherman. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Hesperides Press are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. Contents Include - Why Fish? - Fish to be Caught - Tackle - Bait - How to Fish - Where to Fish - When to Fish - When to use a Float Tackle - Odds and Ends - Prawns - Prawning Gear -How to Prawn - Where to Prawn - When to Prawn

Hunting with air rifles is one of the simplest and most effective methods of humane pest control. Whether culling rats and crows around the farmyard, protecting crops from pigeons or hunting rabbits for the table, airguns offer a relatively inexpensive and unrestricted passport to the world of shooting. In this authoritative book, Mathew Manning covers all aspects of hunting with air rifles, from gun shop to kitchen, with an emphasis on safe, responsible shooting. Starting with the basics of choosing the right gun, clothing and accessories for the job, through the shooting technique and advanced tactics including stalking, decoying, lamping and hide building, Mathew provides valuable information for newcomers and experienced shooters alike. The author also gives an insight into the habits of the main airgun quarry species, unlocking the secrets of the relationship between wildlife, the countryside and the changing seasons - the key to successful hunting. Mathew's clear guidance on game preparation and easy-to-follow recipes demonstrate how free-range meat resulting from a successful day in the field can then be turned into a wholesome meal.

RATS AND HOW TO DESTROY THEM By Mark Hovell. Originally published in 1924, this rare early work on rats and their control is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. READ COUNTRY BOOKS has republished it in an affordable, high quality, modern edition using the original text and artwork. The author was an expert and dedicated destroyer of rats who also invented the "Terrier" Death Run Rat Trap and the Blocking Trap. He was persuaded to write this fascinating book after fighting a memorable battle in ridding a friend's house and farm of a long established and numerous rat colony. Utilising his vast knowledge of the Brown and the Black Rat, and his many years of practical experience in their destruction, he penned this, the most comprehensive of all books ever published on this particular subject. Over five hundred pages contain forty eight detailed chapters including: - Habits and Natural History of the Rat. - Traps, Type and Use. - Signals. - Trapping Methods. - Snaring. - Ferrets and Ferreting. - The Mongoose. - Dogs. - Trailing. - Poisoning. - Virus. - Blocking. - Flooding. - Fumigation. - Varnish and Rat Lime Trap. - The Rodier System. How to Deal with Rats in the House, Shop, Outbuildings, Yards, Stables, Cow-Houses, Fowl Pens, Pig Sties, Gardens, Greenhouses, Rivers and Ships. - Rats on Shooting Estates and Farms. - Sewers. - Notes on Plague. - Cancer in Rats. etc etc. There are also chapters on the control of mice, cockroaches and sparrows, with extra detailed chapters on traps and their design. Over fifty text illustrations are included, detailing trap design and usage etc. Also retained are several pages of vintage advertisements for rat traps, poisons, baits, booksetc. This is a fascinating read for anyone interested in the countryside, rural conservation, pest control, game keeping etc, with much of the historical information remaining useful and practical today. Many of the earliest sporting books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. READ COUNTRY BOOKS are republishing many of these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Originally published in 1922, this is a fascinating illustrated guide to various fieldsports and the woodcraft connected with them. Contents include: Life Habits of British Animals - Game Birds of Great Britain - Vermin - Destruction of Vermin - Hints for the Gunner - Angling and Habits of Fresh Water Fish - Rabbiting - Ferreting - Snaring - Trapping Rabbits, Moles etc. - Making Walking Sticks - Skinning and Preserving Skins - Making Leather Goods - A Permanent Home in the Woods - Hunting Tips. etc. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

This innovative study re-examines the dynamics of race relations in the post--Civil War South from an altogether fresh perspective: field sports.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, wealthy white men from Southern cities and the industrial North traveled to the hunting and fishing lodges of the old Confederacy -- escaping from the office to socialize among like-minded peers. These sportsmen depended on local black guides who knew the land and fishing holes and could ensure a successful outing. For whites, the ability to hunt and fish freely and employ black laborers became a conspicuous display of their wealth and social standing.

But hunting and fishing had been a way of life for all Southerners -- blacks included -- since colonial times. After the war, African Americans used their mastery of these sports to enter into market activities normally denied people of color, thereby becoming more economically independent from their white employers. Whites came to view black participation in hunting and fishing as a serious threat to the South's labor system. Scott E. Giltner shows how African-American freedom developed in this racially tense environment -- how blacks' sense of competence and authority flourished in a Jim Crow setting.

Giltner's thorough research using slave narratives, sportsmen's recollections, records of fish and game clubs, and sporting periodicals offers a unique perspective on the African-American struggle for independence from the end of the Civil War to the 1920s.

Stories of hunting big game in the West and notes about animals pursued and observed.

THE WILD RED DEER OF SCOTLAND Notes from an Island Forest on Deer, Deer Stalking, and Deer Forests in the Scottish Highlands. By Allan Gordon Cameron. Originally published in the early 1920's this scarce deer stalking title is now very hard to locate in its first edition. READ COUNTRY BOOKS have now republished it using the original text, maps and illustrations. The author was an experienced stalker and naturalist who wrote many articles for the sporting journals of that era. The life of a Scottish hill stag is a phenomenon without parallel in the natural history of the species and this book will prove of great interest to all with an interest in field sports and nature. Two hundred and sixty five pages contain fifteen detailed chapters including: Deer Stalking Old and New. - The Hill Stag and the Hill Stalk. - A Naturalist in the Deer Forest. - Calving, Birth Rate etc. - Habits. - Duration of Life. - Stalking Methods. - Antlers (four chapters) - Deer Forest Reforms. - The Ideal Forest. - Deer Distribution etc. This is a fascinating read for any stalking enthusiast or historian of the species, and contains much information that is still useful and practical today. Many of the earliest sporting books, particularly those dating back to the 1800s, are now extremely scarce and very expensive. READ COUNTRY BOOKS are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Strap on your life jacket, and pack your rain gear. You're going Fishing with Joe. Joe probably never won a fishing tournament, or held a world record. That's not why Joe fishes. This is a very extraordinary book about fishing because it's about very ordinary Joe, his adventures, misjudgments, mistakes, errors, and occasional triumphs. This is not a how-to book, but even veteran anglers will learn something from Joe. Non-anglers will be intrigued by Joe, and by this infectious madness called fishing. There may even be some life-lessons. But learning is not the primary intent. Both will laugh at Joe, and with Joe. It's a fun read

You'll meet some characters, not just colorful - vivid. The narrative spans over seventy years and much of the continent, including three different North American countries, and even one foray into the jungles of Malaysia. And, unlike most fishing tales, it is meticulously factual: exactly as it happened, white-knuckle moments, and moments of supreme tranquility alike. Who is Joe? He is certainly someone you know........maybe you

This book is an account of three years' of East Equatorial Africa ivory-hunting under Mount Kenia and among the Ndorobo natives of the Lorogi mountains. It describes the adventures, the country and the game in great detail and includes a trip to the north end of Lake Rudolph. It was originally published in 1898, and will appeal to those interested in the history of hunting and travel in Africa. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original artwork and text.