1.2 2 



NATURE 



[February 4, 1892 



Brighton on the south, and all along the coast-line to 

 Yarmouth on the north. 



The homing-by-instinct theory is entirely disproved by 

 the races which have taken place from Rome to Belgium, 

 a distance of between eight and nine hundred miles, 

 nearly half of which was over country entirely new to the 

 birds. All the birds engaged in these races had been 

 flown from the south of France to Belgium, whence they 

 would have found their way back in one or two days, 

 but of the hundreds liberated in Rome, not one returned 

 before eleven days, and in the first race in a fortnight 

 only four out of the number despatched. The country 

 was new to them, and doubtless they circled about in 

 search of some known landmark which would have 

 directed their flight ; but the objects with which they 

 were acquainted were hidden from them by the Alps, 

 and it was only those few that, flying along the coast, 

 succeeded in reaching the south of France, and then 

 saw objects with which they were acquainted, that 

 returned to their Belgian homes. 



The first extensive practical application of the homing 

 faculty of these birds took place when Paris was environed 

 by the German army. During the siege, as is well 

 known, balloons were continually despatched from Paris, 

 carrying not only passengers, but bundles of letters, and 

 the homing pigeons belonging to a few private individuals 

 resident in Paris. In the first instance the despatches 

 returned by these pigeons were photographed on paper 

 and sent from Brussels into Paris. After a time a distinct 

 pigeon post was organized from Tours, outside the 

 German lines. This pigeon post was recognized by the 

 English postal authorities, and letters at the cost of half- 

 a- franc a word were sent from Tours into Paris with as 

 great a degree of rapidity as the pigeons could be sent 

 out by balloon, and conveyed from the places where they 

 descended to Tours, for the purpose of being reflown into 

 Paris. The letters, which were limited to twenty words, 

 were set up in type, micro-photographed on thin films of 

 collodion, inclosed in small quills, and attached to one 

 of the tail feathers of the bird. So complete was this 

 organization that one pigeon could have carried into 

 Paris the whole of the many thousand letters that were 

 sent in during the siege. 



The Germans were not slow to utilize the services of 

 the pigeons for military purposes, and at the present time 

 every large fortress in Germany has its pigeon loft, and 

 the birds are trained to fly back from the surrounding 

 country for distances of many miles. 



As will be seen by the accompanying map (Fig. 2), 

 pigeons are trained to Berlin from all the large fortresses 

 in the Empire, Strasbourg on the south to Koenigsberg on 

 the north. Then, again, each fortress has its own loft of 

 pigeons, which are trained to fly back to it, so that before 

 a fortress is completely invaded by the enemy a number 

 of birds can be sent out, or forwarded subsequently by 

 balloon. On being Hberated with despatches, these 

 would return to the fortress, without the possibility of 

 their being interfered with. A similar organization pre- 

 vails in France, pigeons having been trained from Paris 

 to all the military stations on the German frontier ; and it 

 may be observed that in Italy, Austria, and even Russia 

 the same system prevails. In our own country there is 

 no definite organization of pigeons for military purposes. 

 It is true pigeon flying has become a popular pastime with 

 a large number of persons. There is scarcely a town in 

 the kingdom where some good homing birds do not 

 exist, which could be placed at the disposition of the i 

 mihtary or naval authorities. One great use of the birds 

 would be on the cruisers sent out to watch an enemy's 

 fleet. It is obvious that each could readily take a number 

 of pigeons on board, and, without leaving its post of 

 observation, could send back day by day messages to the 

 town from whence the pigeons were received. 



It is doubtful whether any purely military organization 



NO. 1162, VOL. 45] 



could take as good care of the pigeons, and could train 

 them in a manner superior to that which is done by those 

 who use them for racing purposes. No military or naval 

 servant, unless he were a lover of pigeons, would train 

 them with the same amount of interest and care that is 

 done by the amateurs. 



In this country, at the present time, there exists a very 

 large number of pigeon-flying Societies. Their races 

 extend from the midland counties in England as far as 

 Cherbourg, and other parts of France. In actual practice 

 the birds would not be, except under very rare occurrences, 

 required to fly very long distances. Of course these long 

 flights necessitate a considerable amount of risk, but good 

 pigeons can be calculated on to return from fifty to a 

 hundred miles with certainty. 



On looking at the map it will be seen that no lines 

 showing the military organization of pigeons appear in 

 Belgium ; in fact, it is hardly thought necessary that any 

 distinct organization should take place there, as it is 

 supposed that there are in Belgium alone more than six 

 hundred thousand homing pigeons belonging to private 

 individuals, all of which are well trained, and would, in 

 case of war, be placed at the disposition of Government. 

 W. B. Tegetmeier. 



NOTES. 

 The Committee which has been formed for the purpose of 

 obtaining a portrait of Michael Foster, Secretary of the Royal 

 Society, and Professor of Physiology in the University of Cam- 

 bridge, has issued a second list of subscriptions. It is intended 

 that the picture shall be presented either to the University or to 

 Trinity College, as the subscribers may decide. The treasurer 

 is Dr. Lea, Gonville and Caius College, and subscriptions may 

 be paid either to him or to Messrs. John Mortlock and Co., 

 Bankers (Limited), Bene't Street, Cambridge. Cheques should 

 be made payable to the " Michael Foster Portrait Fund." 



At the meeting of the Cambridge Philosophical Society on 

 Monday, January 25, Prof. G. H. Darwin, President, in the 

 chair, the following resolutions were proposed by Prof. Cayley, 

 seconded byJDr. Lea, and passed unanimously : — " (l) That the 

 Cambridge Philosophical Society desires to express its sense of 

 the great loss sustained by the University and the Society by 

 the death of Prof. Adams, who shed lustre on the Society by 

 the brilliancy of his scientific career, and set an example to its 

 members by the earnestness and simplicity of his life. (2) That 

 the Society do now adjourn without transacting the business of 

 the meeting, as a mark of respect for the memory of Prof. Adams, 

 one of the benefactors of the Society. (3) That the President 

 be instructed to convey the foregoing resolutions to Mrs. 

 Adams." 



We have heard at present of only one astronomer as candi- 

 date for the Professorship of Astronomy rendered vacant by the 

 death of Prof. Adams ; this is Mr. Turner, Chief Assistant at 

 Greenwich. On the other hand, we hear of some mathema- 

 ticians ; it IS not stated, however, what contributions to the 

 science they have made. 



The late Ferdinand Roemer, the well-known geologist and 

 Professor at the University of Breslau, whose death on Decem- 

 ber 14, 189 1, we have already recorded, intended to have 

 celebrated on May 10 next his jubilee as a Doctor of Philosophy; 

 and his friends, admirers, aud pupils were preparing to do him 

 honour on the occasion. It is now proposed that a marble bust 

 of Roemer shall be placed in the Mineralogical Museum of 

 Breslau, and an influential committee has been formed for the 

 purpose of collecting subscriptions. 



The Committees appointed Irst year by the Royal Society 

 and by the British Association for investigating the zoology of 



