This is the first part of the Foreword by the late Karel H. Voous, Emeritus Professor of Zoology,
Free University of Amsterdam and Honorary Scientific Assistant at the Zoological Museum of the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This is a remarkable book written and composed by two remarkable authors and dealing with a remarkable subject. One, Herman F. Arentsen, is a retired civil servant from the city of Amsterdam, and the best informed ornithologist in the Netherlands on old and modern cages, traps, snares, decoys and other lures to catch birds. Together with Dr A.C. Van Bemmel (Rotterdam Zoo), he organised an exhibition at the XV International Ornithological Congress at The Hague in 1970, showing all kinds of paraphernalia related to the subject matter.
The other, Dr Natalino Fenech, is a journalist who was deeply involved in the environment protection movement in Malta. He wrote a book about hunting practices in Malta and later read for his PhD at Durham University in Britain, where he studied about the ins and outs of hunting in the Mediterranean region. Together, they have written historical data and collected old and contemporary illustrations, which, apart from being pretty and often romantic, add considerably to understanding and evaluating the mystery of lark mirrors.
This is what was written by the late Emeritus Professor of EthnographySture Lagercrantz, from the University of Uppsala, Sweden
Much has been written about hunting, hunting related items as well as traps. I myself have modestly contributed to the wealth of publications about traps. But lark mirrors, a form of decoy used for luring larks, had escaped the attention of authors... until this book came along. I must admit that throughout my research, I came across very little information about lark mirrors and I was pleasantly surprised that these two authors have found so much material. Lark mirrors — or as the French call them, miroirs a alouettes, are part of the hunting lore which deserve the attention they are given in this book.
This book is more than seminal. It covers all aspects one could think of and more. The authors have rummaged through well over 220 references ranging from books to patents to catalogues. They also spoke to people who used them. From all of these sources they gleaned morsels of information, which they analysed and put into its proper context. The book also contains an impressive number of illustrations which help the reader see what one is reading about.
This book is of interest to anyone interested in the folklore of birds and of hunting, social history, ethnography as well as anyone who has any interest in the past. It has been done with care and an evident passion for the subject from two authors who know what they are talking about.
If you are interested in this book you can send an e mail to: natalino.fenech@yahoo.com
