The Wood Pigeon 219 



the pigeon has long since given way to the mounted 

 messenger, the railway, the telegraph, and heliograph, 

 and other methods of signalling, though up to within 

 comparatively recent times it continued to be employed as 

 a conveyer of general intelligence. 



As already stated, pigeons have long since ceased to be 

 employed as carriers of military intelligence, but within 

 the past decade or so the war authorities of the chief 

 European nations have given much consideration as to 

 the advisableness of again utilising them for this purpose, 

 as the fact that it was only by means of these birds that 

 Paris received news from the outside world during the 

 many weeks of the siege of 1870-71, set at rest all doubts 

 as to the possibility of usefully employing these swift 

 aerial messengers under certain conditions. 



In our own country, the exigencies of climate — mist, 

 fog, sea fret, &c, render the employment of the bird as a 

 national resource out of the question. The country 

 doctor and postmaster in many different parts of these 

 islands, however, find the " carrier " of great value. 



