Pigeons as War Messengers.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 216, 20 August 1887, Page 4

Pigeons as War Messengers.

Somk interesting facts are driven in the •* Cortahill " in regard lo the use of the pigeon as a war messenger. Within the past- few years the war authorities of the chief European nations have given much consideration as to tho advisabloness of ugain utilising pigeons us carrioi s of military despatches. It was only by moans of these birds that Paris received news from the outside world during tho many weeks of the siege of 1870-71- Tho pigeons selected for the return journey to the capital were taken by train in the early morning to the furthest point noith that could be reached with safety., and thus the distance they had to fly was 1 educed at> much as possible. From 18th November. 1870, until Paras capitulated, on 2Bth January following, London was in communication with Touis by means of a pigeon post, and dm ing that period 48 day and 1,18(3 night mails were despatched by winged messengers. Within the tluec months time tho French (Jovernment was at Toui> — from the middle ot September to 11th December— 2l9 pigeons were to^ed, the aveiage number libeiated on each occasion being 5, all of winch canied copies of the same messages. The majoiity of these birds were lost through lack of training, -weather, etc., but/ tome co pie*, of every despatch reached Paris. JSy the introduction of the .system of microphotography.it became possible to compress the matter oi the despatches into a \ery small space. The me.-hagc wn^photufjn.phed by the microscope on one side of a vei y ihin aim, of collodion ; and as each poliiole containtd on an average some 2,500 despatches*, it became possible for a pigeon t*> easily cany a dozen ot these pellicles, which represent 80,000 messages. 1 Hiring the memorable siege of Paris, lo(),0f 0 official and 1,000,000 private messages, or notice* of money oidcrs, were cauied into the cicy, the -value of the money oidcrs so tiMiivmitted being L7.G00. The Germans weie among the ln-t nations tv establish military pigeon lofts, and their system is now tho mobt complete in Europe. The larger fortresses, like Metz, Cologne and Strasburg, each have fiom 400 to GOO well trained birds ; and the annual vote of eiedit for pigeon purposes in tho military budget is L 1,700., 700. Registers are kept, giving full particulars concerning all the birds. — the numbers stamped on them, their ago, he\", colour, distinguishing marks, and the different places from winch each has down, together with notes on their rapidity and reliability. In France the vote of credit for the pigeon loftb is Ll,ooo. Ten stations have birds trained from Paris and impoitant towns at great distance communicate with the capital by intermediate stations. The census taken k'st year showed that in Paris alone there were 2,500 birds available, of which 1,780 had been thoroughly trained and might be lelied upon as likely to " home." Russia has recently voted a sum of L"2,00() for the maintenance of military pigeon lofts, it being thought that in Afghanistan and other distant parts pigeons might, under certain circumstances, be the best moans of seem ing the maintenance of communication. In England, in January of last year Captain Allatt, 11. A., brought the subject beioie the United »Ser\ ice Institution, and in the following April he, w ith the consent of the Commander-in-Chiof, employed pigeons as messengers, and during the Easter milituiy manceuvres, fully demonstrated in what way, even pihately, tiained birds might be made to lender in\aluable <-er\ice to a defending aimy.