Birds as Messengers 
“tossed ’’ with messages from behind the 
German lines. Advantage was also taken 
of the fact that behind the German lines 
there were large towns or thickly populated 
areas occupied by a friendly people, many of 
whom, moreover, knew all about Hominc 
PIGEONS, as the North of France and Bel- 
gium, like Yorkshire and Lancashire, were 
centres of the “‘fancy.’’ By a combination 
of close meteorological study and ingenious 
mechanical devices it became possible to 
drop baskets containing our PIGEONS on 
occupied areas where the chances were that 
they would fall into friendly hands. These 
hands knew where to take them, and in due 
course quite a large percentage arrived at 
our lofts bearing valuable information (Times, 
30.xi1.18). PIGEONS were also made use 
of for ‘‘ counter-espionage.’ The Germans 
made a splendidly finished message-carrier 
with a red seal at the top; from time to time 
our troops captured German PIGEONS in the 
trenches, but could not use them to send 
messages as they had no similar holders. 
A medal maker of Birmingham, however, 
II 
