Wild Spain (España agreste) / Records of Sport with Rifle, Rod, and Gun, Natural History Exploration

WILD SPAIN

TWO IBEX-HUNTERS.

( ESPAÑA AGRESTE ) RECORDS OF SPORT WITH RIFLE, ROD, AND GUN, NATURAL HISTORY AND EXPLORATION BY ABEL CHAPMAN, F.Z.S. AUTHOR OF BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS AND WALTER J. BUCK, C.M.Z.S., of Jerez WITH 174 ILLUSTRATIONS, MOSTLY BY THE AUTHORS
LONDON GURNEY AND JACKSON, 1, PATERNOSTER ROW (Successors To Mr. Van Voorst) 1893
LONDON: PRINTED BY WOODFALL AND KINDER, 70 TO 76, LONG ACRE, W.C.
IN Wild Spain we endeavour to describe a little-known land from a point of view hitherto almost unoccupied—that of the sportsman-naturalist. Many books have been written on Spain—some very good ones: but recent volumes chiefly confine themselves to the history, antiquities, architecture, &c., of the country, with their authors' impressions of the Spanish people. Such subjects find no place—save incidentally—in the present work, which systematically avoids the beaten track and essays to depict some of the unknown and more remote regions.
During more than twenty years the authors have undertaken sporting expeditions into various parts of Spain—chiefly in Andalucia, but including, at one time or another, nearly all the western provinces from the Mediterranean to Biscay. A love of wild sport has been, perhaps, the leading motive; but the study of natural history has hardly been of secondary importance. In pursuit of these twin objects we have spared neither time nor trouble, spending weeks—sometimes months—at a time, in the sierras and wildernesses of Spain, bivouacing wherever night overtook us, or the chances of sport might dictate, and camping-out on the glorious snow-clad cordilleras.
Our subjects are the wild-life and feræ naturæ of the Peninsula—including in the latter expression, by a slight stretch of the term, the brigand and the gypsy, with remarks on agriculture as cognate and supplementary. As far as convenient, the sequence of chapters follows the change of the seasons, 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.