DOMESTIC PIGEONS ; IOl 



testants are carried in closed wicker baskets. It 

 should be understood that the birds do not return 

 to the place where they are "tossed" but to their 

 lofts many miles away. The exact time of libera- 

 tion is taken by specially constructed clocks, as 

 is the time of arrival at the home loft. This 

 arrival home does not mean a perch on the peak 

 of the loft roof, but the absolute second the pig- 

 eon passes through the trap-door. Thus, con- 

 siderable patience is entailed on the part of the 

 trainer to teach the birds to drop directly to the 

 platform in front of the door and to push through. 

 When the time at the loft and the time at the 

 place of tossing are compared the difference 

 shows the time of flight. The distance covered 

 is reduced from miles to yards and the result 

 divided by the number of minutes, the speed of 

 flight thus being obtained in yards to the minute. 



6 

 Pigeons as Messengers 



Although as message carriers pigeons were 

 used by the ancients, it was not until the Belgians 

 developed racing strains that the "pigeon post" 

 was seriously taken up by the governments of 

 Europe. Up to that time almost any home-flying 

 breed would do, and as a consequence many impor- 

 tant despatches went astray. But the day came 

 when the birds officially received recognition, and 



