60 Poachers and Poaching. 



of French savants recently approached the 

 Minister of War, and induced him to found a 

 military swallow-cote whence the birds might be 

 trained. The Governor of Lille was charged to 

 test the plan, and certain experiments made at 

 Roubaix last year are now commanded to be 

 repeated under the supervision of Captain 

 Degouy of the Engineers. During the coming 

 autumn this gentleman is to be present at a 

 grand flight of messenger swallows ; and if his 

 report is favourable, a swallow-cote will be 

 founded and placed under the care of special 

 trainers at Mont Valerian. The idea of engaging 

 swallows in war is a pretty one, as in future all 

 European wars will have to be conducted in 

 " Swallow-time " when the warm winds blow 

 from the sunny south. This arrangement will 

 at least obviate night-watches in frozen trenches ; 

 nor is it likely that pickets will any longer be 

 starved to death at their posts. The incident is 

 also quoted in proof of the fact that we are 

 nearing the time when Europe will be governed 

 by the Parliament of Man, the Federation of the 

 World. But, after all, the idiosyncrasies of 

 France have a way of not being fulfilled ; and 

 the reign of the swallow will doubtless be as 

 ephemeral as that of the brav^ General him- 

 self. In all their military operations of late 

 the French have made considerable use of 

 pigeons in conveying despatches ; and in the 



