The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-03-17
The Carrier Pigeon.

|
The Carrier Pigeon.
The carrier dove is the bird of romance
and poetry. The carrier pigeon, which
is but another name for the same bright
creature, is the bird of business and war,
Both names, in the vocabulary of to-day
are giving way to the new term, Hon
ing Pigeon" by which this bird is now
usually designated. This homing pigeon
is the perfected results of breeding to.
gether selections of the most successful
and accomplished performers. The pig
con, as carrier of letters, has place
in the pages Of Pliny and Tasso. He
figures largely in romance, especially OF
the earlier days. Steam and the tele-
graph promised to destroy his usefulness
altogether, but the bird has survived
these dangers, and is of as practical use
to-day as in the remote past. The car
rier pigeon was employed in the wars OF
ancient Rome and Greece. He was
much used by the Asiatics, andin Turkey
the intelligence of this bird has been pnt
to many uses. He fits in admirably in
the letter service of land of seraglios
and sultanas. The carrier pigeon was
employed during the siege of Jerusalem,
in the twelfth century, and the Saracens
had hawks trained to pursue and destroy
these messengers. Curiously enough,
the carrier pigeons sent from our army
frontier posts ''are troubled by small
hawk, which greatly disturbs the birds
in their fight" says General Miles.
During the siege of Paris, in the in
clement winter Of 1901, these pigeons
were found most useful. They were
sent from the city with messages, and
the balloons that were dispatched from
the beleagured capital carried birds
that came back from great dis.
tances-one hundred miles or more.
The messages were set up in columns
like a newspaper, and micro-photo-
graphed. They were read under the
microscope, or enlarged. The messages
were of very light weight, a few grains
only. They were attached to the legs
of the birds, or securely fastened among
the tail feathers. Anciently messages
were often attached to the wings of the
birds. This is not done now. In
Greece, the results of the Olympic
games were dispatched by carrier
pigeons. In England, these birds have
carried the news of a prize fight, of a
Derby race, of the rise and fall of stocks.
In the United States they have done
similar service. Shipping news has been
brought by them from coast stations to
the cities. Mr.. Beach of the New York
Sun, many years ago employed them as
news carriers. On one occasion he
brought from Boston an abstract of one
of Mr.. Webster's speeches in that city,
distancing the other newspapers
by several days. Pigeon races
have been an amusement in
many countries in Europe notably
in Belgium, where the birds has been
most carefully cultivated. In recent
years there have been many such races,
or ''homing competitions, in this coun-
try. The birds fly from thirty to forty
miles per hour. The ''homing" of these
birds is regarded as an instinct, special
faculty, and is often noticed in other
animals, as the bee, the dog, etc. Some
writer's allege that the bird is governed
by vision. The fact that these birds, let
loose long distances out at sea, have re-
turned home safely and expeditiously,
would seem to favor the instinct theory.
The ''homing' instinct is strong and
lasting. The carrier recognized as the
best. is the Antwerp" This bird will
return home after months of confne-
ment. The carrier pigeon has been found
of great service in our army in the remote
and sequestered regions OF the West,
where there is no telegraphic communi-
cation, or where hostile Indians have
destroyed the lines, and the Government
is strongly urged to extend the service
The employment of this bird by scouting
parties, by expeditions hemmed in by
savages, and in many of the emergencies
of frontier warfare, would be of untold
value. Pigeon culture is a most fasci.
mating occupation, as is shown by the
recent organization in New York of q
new club of pigeon fanciers, with the
object of elevating the homing sport.
The beauty of the birds, their grace and
stateliness, their gallantry. their tender
and loving natures, appeal strongly tt
human feelings, and endear them very
strongly to those who exercise an intelli
gent Clancy in this pursuit. -Anserica,
AgricWItartst. q.