THE CARRIER PIGEON.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 141, 3 October 1876, Page 2

THE CARRIER PIGEON.

The homing pigeon improves upon acquaintance, and the uses to which we can put him are daily multiplying. His use in time of war ought to need no further proof, although we suppose it is upon that ground that our own War Office is so shy and scornful. A telegraph system is always in danger ; a balloon-post has yet not been invented ; and buried wires connecting our strategic centres are refinements of suggestion not yet to be safely whispered about within earshot of a Minister of War. The pigeon, however, is a telegraphic system in miniature. We are utilising him for many purposes. He supplements our ordinary system of rapid transmission in the conveyance of racing and other important news. He is used to communicate between the several lightships on our coast and the land-centres. Herring-fishing boats take out their supply .of homing pigeons, and so do their own cabling, sending information as to their catches and the probable time of their return. But all these uses are capped by the last addition to the list. A physician in the Isle of Wight has taken to using the Belgian carrier pigeon in the course of his country practice. When he starts from home he takes with him in his trap a basket of birds, some tissue-paper, and a few India - rubber rings. " iii a long country drive," he writes, "at every village through which I pass, and when my last patient therein is seen, L write my list of prescriptions for that village, affix it to the leg of one of my birds, and despatch it homewards. By this means, either a country carrier is intercepted starting homewards from our market-town, and the medicine is delivered by him on that very evening, or my chemist is enabled hour by hour to see his work ahead of him, and forestall his dispensing necessities." If detained, he can send full reasons home ; and if he has a critical patient, he can leave some pigeons and materials behind him ere goes home, and receive hourly messages. It is needless to dwell upon the advantages of such a plan. In ail occupations necessitating frequent, secret, and rapid communication, tiie carrier pigeon is invaluable. In clear weather, his speed is considerable. For example, some pigeons flew from London to Brussels the other day at about twenty miles the hour—a pace they will easily beat over short distances, in previouslytraversed localities. Indeed, the pigeon despatch promises to be a dangerous rival to the telegraph, and the wonder is that so few- attempts are made to organise a special service," for..private, public, and press purposes. —York Herald.