Utility and Eggnomy of Birds 
which are believed to have been killed and 
eaten by the hungry German soldiers (Daily 
Express, 25.1.19). 
Although on the Continent spies were 
arrested for making use of this medium to 
convey messages, no such cases appear to 
have been reported in this country. In this 
connection it is amusing to note that the 
recovery of birds ringed for the investiga- 
tion of migration was often regarded as 
suspicious; a BLACK-HEADED GULL, ringed 
‘“M-—V1BorRG: DENMARK,” which was shot 
in Suffolk in December 1916, was forwarded 
to the military authorities, who passed the 
ring to the Admiralty with the following 
comment: ‘‘ This looks as if addressee had 
been trying to train a GULL as a carrier to 
England: this has often been tried, but is 
generally considered unreliable.”’ 
HoMING PIGEONS were extensively used 
by our fleet, and it is recorded that Skipper 
Thomas Crisp, V.C., who died at the wheel 
under fire from a German submarine, lived 
long enough to despatch a message by 
PIGEON: through the timely arrival of the 
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