New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-03-01

cathedral 1t kind OF appondago TO tho roof ana
from II free view was had sides, especially upon
the roofs OF the neghborng houses The cote contained
about hundred BIRDS all reddish blue or blue, most OF
them with beautiful fiery tnges few with black eyes
All were males A Belgian frstclass fancier will not
suffer female bird in the cote. Tho breeding pigeons
are kept separate The Belgian let loose dozen pigeons
he then leaned out Of the windows and gave to the br
which had not daled moment on the roof. but were
already high above houses the direction which they
should take by single motion Of the hand. They obeyed
with prompttudc that left doubt Of tho perfection
of their training He then suddenly closed the window,
and when the birds to the neighborhood of the
roof he whsted sharp and turning round TO his visitor
said If Of my pigeons settle down upon any Other
point except upon the trap my coteToOf VIII sore"
It's neck off," had scarcely uttered these words when
the whole lot nocked homo not single one had Iodseu
elsewhere The fancier repeated the experiment 'oh
times always with the "That me race
he said. "When my pigeons come from the IonEo's
journey, they must always keep to the same rules ana
vhey always remember them. Ihaye not killed pigeon
ior its incapability now for O long time" lou pe-
heve, then, that things do not work so sihoo'r!
In Parisl Z" "No; they will not have many priS 'iV
return so punctualy to the cote no" w -
manage there after the arrival OF the Drds i""' "
simple enough: during the day when the bras arc "a
pected the owner of the cote sits all day upon tue o0
e Paris Government will also give him assistants As
sooD "A the birds are In sight he does just as nave "cs
crled and wish he may always have the same
II the birds enter the cote then The oicalS hhcuy
take possession OF the dispatches, and they are oI'u
a. oncLv IA possible 10 the Hotel dc Vile. PoHd toni
There are more than $50 societies unions OF pigeon
fueers I'm Belgium alone and these are connected WIN
branch societies in all countries of the Continent
The speed attained by the pigeons is rom
thirty-fve to forty miles an h0ur' therefore
opicLer than the average railroad train. Some
instances Of speed attained may be here recorded On
the goth of July 1852 there pigeon race from Or
leans IN Antwerp nj "a O'Clock IN the morning ia pigeons
wore released at Orleans and OF these the one which re-
ceiyed the first prize arrived at Antwerp at IA minutes
after I'm the afternoon the whole Distance OF 80 German
mile, being accomplished in five hours and Ij minutes,
or about 10 German or - English miles per hour On
the 22d Of May last two Cologne pigeons were sent up
at PeSth and greetings printed on the wings at O'Clock
in the morning. Al in the afternoon u telegram came
announcing the arrival OF the two al o'clock.
in n somewhat exhausted state. having accomplished the
Journey of l2j German miles in not quite eight hours,
giving thus "a speed Of nearly 20 English miles per hour
Not uufrcdueutly birds become exhausted during very
long journeys, and are unable TO proceed further.
or in crossing some regions get into storms, ana
are destroyed and especially dangerous is the journey
from Italy to Belgium and Holland the storms % the
Alps proving very injurious \ wcltranei pigeon
never dales the journey; never stops 10 make love
on the way-never in fact. appears to forget his duty
True some make very agreeable acquaintance before
they are sent up for The home Journey and cases are re-
corded whore the amorOuS instinct and the love OF home
have had a serious conflict. Belgian fancicr relates an
instance Of this kinda bird separated from ITS mate
and sent up with dispatches the first day returned;
the second aud third day. the but on the fourth 1t
scared higher and higher gained its proper direction
and sped toward home.