Co u ric rs of th e A ir. 6 1 



Franco-German war the birds played a con- 

 spicuous part. Upon several occasions, indeed, 

 the inhabitants of beleaguered cities looked upon 

 the successful flights of these birds as their only 

 hope betwixt death and starvation. 



At the time the French were making trials 

 with messenger swallows, the young German 

 Emperor ordered extensive experiments to be 

 carried out with carrier pigeons, the same to be 

 tested at the Imperial manoeuvres. Upon this, 

 six of the first Columbarian Societies of Germany 

 each offered to supply twenty-four birds, which 

 are now in training. So we have it that the 

 French are endeavouring to train swallows, 

 the Germans pigeons, and the Russians falcons. 

 Whether the falcons are themselves to convey 

 messages, or are to be used to cut down the 

 swallows and pigeons whilst so engaged, is not 

 stated. The pigeon is a tried messenger, and 

 has, moreover, some interesting and remark- 

 able records. The claim of the swallow, on the 

 other hand, lies all in its possibilities. In this 

 connection " swallow " must stand in a generic 

 sense, and include all birds of the swallow kind 

 as well as the swift. Although, as already stated, 

 swallows are among the most fatiguable of birds, 

 yet one of the American species the purple 

 martin would seem to be an exception, and the 

 fact of its having crossed the Atlantic is well 

 known. It is true that swallows attain to an 



