142 OUR DOMESTIC FOWLS, 



Carolina, those districts being the nearest, in 

 which they could have collected a supply of 

 that grain. The swiftness of the carrier 

 pigeon is equal to that of the passenger 

 pigeon, and is very great, but then much time 

 is lost while it mounts and makes its circles of 

 observation, before it starts fairly on its 

 course. Perhaps the average rapidity is fifty 

 or sixty miles an hour ; but it can wing its 

 •way still more expeditiously, when eager to 

 regain its home, and no very great difficulties 

 have to be encountered. M. Antoine informs 

 us that a gentleman residing in Cologne, 

 called by business to Paris, laid a considerable 

 wager that he would give information to his 

 friends of his safe arrival, within three hours. 

 The distance is a hundred leagues; the ac- 

 complishment of the object seemed impossible, 

 and the wager was at once accepted. He had 

 brought from Cologne two carrier pigeons, 

 which had nestlings, and arriving at Paris at 

 ten in the morning, he tied a letter to each 

 bird and despatched them both at eleven 

 precisely. One of these pigeons arrived at 

 Cologne at five minutes past one o'clock, and 

 in nine minutes afterwards the other came in ; 

 hence, supposing their flight to have been 



