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they flew above the water, could readily see the submerged 

 submarine boats which they followed for the sake of the garbage 

 which all boats must discharge into the sea. Lookouts from 

 both destroyers and airplanes watched the movements of the 

 gulls, and by so doing sometimes located the submerged enemy. 

 Mines, escaping from their moorings, floated on the sea and 

 formed a danger which could only be met by extreme vigilance. 

 Gulls frequently perched and rested on the arms of these 

 floating mines and so called attention to them and saved ships 

 that otherwise might have been destroyed. 



During the war the chief countries of the world were combed 

 for carrier pigeons. Wherever on the battlefields a heavy 

 "barrage" of exploding shells was laid down, breaking the 

 wires and disabling the runners by whom communication was 

 kept up with headquarters or with the batteries, carrier pigeons 

 were sent out, if available, with messages, and they conveyed 

 a very large percentage of those messages safely through the 

 hell of shellfire, despite the fact that shotguns were often used 

 by the enemy to bring down the birds. 



The crew of a mine sweeper sunk by a submarine were saved 

 by a pigeon messenger which, sent by the dying captain, 

 reached its loft, though wounded and dying, in time to bring 

 a swift destroyer to the scene. The crews of seaplanes broken 

 down and wrecked at sea were saved by timely messages 

 carried by these birds which brought them speedy assistance. 

 A German submarine base was discovered on the coast and a 

 pigeon messenger carried the news in time to bring- destroyers 

 to capture the U-boats. This very brief and imperfect account 

 of the utility of birds in the great war is sufficient to show that 

 their services were not only valuable but essential. 



COMMERCIAL VALUE OF BIRDS. 



The commercial value of birds to man is incalculable. From 

 time immemorial birds have furnished both savage and civilized 

 man with a considerable part of his food; and since the marts 

 of trade have become established, the flesh, eggs and feathers 

 of birds have had a large place in trade and commerce. Birds 

 always have had a prominent place in the game markets of all 

 civilized lands. 



