I—BIRDS AS MESSENGERS 
obvious example of service rendered to 
man by birds during the war. The 
HominG PIGEON, whose speed of flight has 
been estimated at from 880 to 2,000 yards 
per minute according to weather conditions, 
has naturally played an important part. 
The first use of PIGEONS as message carriers 
is wrapped in the mystery of antiquity. 
Solomon is alleged to have transmitted orders 
throughout his kingdom by means of HOMING 
PIGEONS, the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and 
Romans employed these birds in their armies, 
and the victory at the siege of Modena (43 B.C.) 
has been attributed to Piczons. After the 
conquest of Gaul, relays of PIGEONS carried 
the news to Rome, as, in later days, the 
news of the victory at Waterloo was brought 
to England by PIGEONS some days in ad- 
vance of the official courier (Country Life, 
3 
2 the ‘‘ Pigeon Post’’ we have the most 
