Birds as Messengers 
military importance: steps were taken to 
set up an effective ‘‘ carrier ’’ service, pigeon- 
fanciers came forward with the utmost 
patriotism to present their birds, and a little 
later severe penalties were enforced under 
D.O.R.A. for shooting CARRIER PIGEONS. 
It was even held that it was the duty of the 
public, in their own interest, to feed, water, 
and care for any stray HoMERs which might 
come into their possession (Daily Express, 
18.vii.18). In spite of these precautions, 
several fell victims during the shoots organised 
in this country to thin the immigrant hordes 
of Woop PIGEONS. 
Our Military Pigeon Service, under Cap- 
tain A. H. Osman, grew to large proportions, 
and, though it was not till March 1916 that 
the first British PIGEONS were sent over to 
the Western Front, our birds soon became 
as useful to us as those employed by our 
Allies in France and Belgium, in which latter 
country the training and rearing of PIGEONS 
has long ranked as a national sport. In the 
earlier days old omnibuses were used as 
travelling lofts, but later on up-to-date 
5 
