Utility and E@nomy of Birds 
many as a thousand birds being sometimes 
employed in a single engagement, their value 
was not always properly estimated. There 
is a story that, when pressed hard to find a 
dinner for his master, a faithful ‘‘ batman ”’ 
served up what he simply described as “a 
brace of birds.’”’ They proved excellent eat- 
ing, but a subsequent enquiry from sead- 
quarters as to the loss of two valuable 
HoMING PIGEONS led to investigations. The 
“batman ’”’ eventually revealed the origin of 
the dainty dish to his master, and after being 
warned that, if found out, it would certainly 
mean a court-martial, was asked if he had left 
any evidence, such as the basket; to which 
he replied, ‘‘Couldn’t cook’em without mak- 
ing a fire, sir’? (Daily Mail, 3.11.19). The 
men to whom the CARRIER PIGEONS were 
consigned occasionally became bored by 
their precious charges. One day a practice 
‘“PIGEON message’’ was received from a 
somewhat ‘“‘fed-up’’ Australian battalion 
rather weary of sending practice PIGEON mes- 
sages during many weeks. The latest mes- 
sage when decoded read thus:—‘“ In view of 
14. 
