INTRODUCTION 



His interest in the fancy points of poultry 

 and pigeons was kept alive for a time by the 

 nature of his work with Darwin ; when the 

 scientific interest of variations in shape and 

 plumage had been exhausted they became trifles ; 

 and he then devoted himself to the promotion 

 of utility poultry and utility pigeons. The 

 domestic fowl was to be encouraged for the 

 table and as a layer, without regard to external 

 points, save as indicative of breed. The only 

 pigeon in which he preserved his interest was 

 that which had been the hobby of his youthful 

 days, the Homer ; but the bird which had been 

 his plaything as a boy was made to reveal valuable 

 uses by Tegetmeier in manhood. He did more 

 than anyone in the kingdom to open the eyes 

 of the public to the value of the services the 

 Homer could be made to give. During the 

 'seventies he was much before the public as the 

 organiser of great flights of birds from the Crystal 

 Palace. These public displays were regarded by 

 him simply as means to the end he had in view. 

 Knowing what Continental nations were doing 

 with the Homer in connection with military work, 

 his aim was to awaken general interest and to 

 persuade our own military authorities to make 

 similar use of the abundant material that was 

 ready to their hands ; and he worked at the 

 business by public demonstration, by writing and 

 by lecture, with his usual tireless energy. 



xi. 



