DOMESTIC PIGEONS 109 



in which the pigeons carried word of planes in 

 distress. For example, a large British machine 

 was brought down in the North Sea fifty miles 

 from shore, where it drifted helpless for several 

 days. The commander had four pigeons, one of 

 which he released each day until all were gone. 

 The last bird, starved by four days ' lack of food, 

 set off through a fog and finally succeeded in 

 reaching land. It fluttered down to a coast- 

 guard station, and there, with its message still at- 

 tached to its leg, fell dead from exhaustion. The 

 six men on the wrecked plane were saved. 



Pigeons as Food 



Although it would be possible to recount a score 

 of tales such as the one just related, there is no 

 space left to do so. We must therefore turn to 

 the fourth province of the pigeon, its economic 

 place as food. The pigeon doubtless has always 

 been eaten by epicures, ever since its first domesti- 

 cation, but never did it attain the same popularity 

 as poultry. It is found, nevertheless, in all our 

 markets to-day and therefore holds a certain 

 status as a food product. 



The reasons for the lack of popularity of the 

 pigeon as a market product are not difficult to 

 decipher. The flesh of an adult bird is inclined 

 to be tough; owing to the unreliability, then, of 



