This series consists of falconry equipment, falconry exhibit labels and cards, a taxidermy young peregrine falcon, and two large burlap envelopes collected by Casey A. Wood from 1920-1937. Also included in this series are two Wolf Envelope Co. (Ohio) allsteel transfer cases manufactured by General Fireproofing Co., Ohio for book binding, found within Wood’s materials (191-?).
The leather falconry equipment and those worn by the young peregrine falcon were made by Otto Kals in Dusseldor-Benrath, Germany approximately in 1930-1937 and the falcon bells were made by Captain Russell Luff Meredith in the United States in 1920. The taxidermy young peregrine falcon in training is mounted on a weathering block and wears a United States Bureau of Biological Survey identification band, indicating that it was acquired legally. The falcon is also wearing a hood, a leash, a swivel, and a jess. A falcon bell is also held with the falcon as well as another leather jess, which is damaged.
Many of the artefacts in this series were purchased by Casey A. Wood due to his interest in falconry during his research with Marjorie Fyfe for the publication “The Art of Falconry,” a translation of Frederick II of Hosenstaufen's “de Arte Vendandi cum Avibus.” The falconry items were gifted to the Redpath Library at McGill University in autumn 1938 by Dr. Casey A. Wood.
The two large burlap envelopes previously held the contents of flat box MSG 1203-2-25, which contains photostats produced by the British Museum of Emperor Frederick II's manuscript “de Arte Venandi cum Avibus,” books I-II. It is evident on one envelope that labels were removed, while the other includes two original labels indicating Persian miniatures and drawings from the "fourteenth to nineteenth century, collected in North India, Bombay, Cairo, and London by Casey A. Wood," were previously contained. These two labels were scratched out and the note "Fred. II" was added.