The Alaska citizen., 1913-11-10
house.

~ tAAV fuA ptsNF vi kHfSt' exercises
IS TO train the pigeons for regular
messenger service. the birds carry
dispatches prepared specially for safe
and easy transportation The dis.
patches are either written or photo
graphed. The former are written
on sheets OF very thin paper. measur.
ing about 3 by Az inches. which
are triply folded and then rolled up.
so that they form slender rolls
about L inches long. which taper
lghtly toward one end.
The photographed dispatches are
made from manuscript sheets meas.
uring II by IA inches. photographed
on films measuring 1i5 by 2 inches.
which are simply relied for trans
portation y the pigeons On receipt
portation by the pigeons. On receipt
glass and read with a magnifying
glass or projected on a screen by a
lantern.
The practice dispatch contains a
request that the capture of the
pigeon be reported to the military an
thorities and also bears the desig
nation Of the ird's home the place
date and hour CT release, the number
of birds set free, serial number
and some meteorological notes.
The dispatches are carried In
tubes OF two sorts. One is a goose
quill, IL inches long and onefifth
inch in diameter. The dispatcher
seizes the pigeon with his left hand
and presses its breast to his own.
Then he separates one OF the median
tail feathers and passes it through
the goose quill by COMPRISING the
barbs of the feather. which, when re-
leased. resume their normal position.
The dispatch is then introduced into
the void which the shank of the
feather leaves in the goose quill.
and is secured with a pointed match
stick In another method. tube
of aluminium is attached to leg
OF the bird. and the dispatch in
closed In a smaller tube, is then in
serted
Every army carrier pigeon bears
certain marks by which it can easily
be recognized. The left leg Is cir
died with an aluminium band bearing
the date of the year, the designa-
ticn Of the pigeon house and
serial number These marks are
also stamped on the right wing, to-
gether with the letter NJ or F. in
the sex of the bird. Both
the sex and the place of mobilization
are revealed, Furthermore. by a spiral
band of colored celluloid borne on
the right leg. A male is indicated
by 213. female by ~ spires or
turns. There are seven co,ors:
black. white blue, red. yellow, green
and violet. each of which corresponds
to a different direction.
In order to complete this brief
sketch it is necessary to mention
the material Equipment employed in
breeding and training the carrier
pigeons OF the French army This
includes the equipment for the trans
portation Ct pigeons, in add ton to
the equipment Of the pigeons house
AS the pigeons are allowed to leave
the house at fixed hours only, it is
necessary to place, at the entrance
Of each compartment, special en-
trance cages, which are set in the
windows. These cages are so con-
structed that the birds can enter
freely but cannot escape. The cage
is only % inches high, 80 inches long
and % inches deep. The sides are
formed of iron wires about Y inches
apart, and the top is covered with
"iic Stating idNiH6 iHeoilce IHedoul'
ing 4 by 5 inches an interval suffi-
cient for entrance. but too small for
exit. The upper half of the front is
like the sides, but the lower halt
is closed by a movable frame of in.
verted U-shaped wires, which swing
on hinges from the top bar of the
frame, the bottom bar of which al
lows the lower end of the wires to
move inward. but not outward. The
returning pigeons, alighting on the
board in front OF the cage, enter by
pushing these swinging wires inward,
but cannot escape by the same way.
The movable frame is raised by
cord to release the pigeons. The
board is made long and
conspicuous in order to assist the
young birds in finding their way
home The breeding nests are ar.
ranged in superposed cells, each
OF which contains two nests, for the
second clutch OF eggs is often laid in
less than three weeks after the first
brood is Matched. and before the young
birds are able to feed themselves
The top Of the group of cells forms
a promenade for the pigeons. The
cells are closed, in front by light
u-N In tnh rHv