THE C0L0MB0PH1LE 75 



"The Flight of Carrier Pigeons at the Crystal 

 Palace," and another newspaper, of which un- 

 fortunately I have not the name, graphically 

 pictured the scene, with Mr. Tegetmeier giving 

 the signal for the liberation of the birds. I know 

 not if I am infringing on anyone's copyright in 

 reproducing this illustration, but if so, I hope, in 

 view of the great and almost historical interest 

 of the subject, that I may be forgiven. Among 

 other papers Fun reported and illustrated, more 

 suo, in September, the second flight, to which 

 it devoted a whole page and a turn-over. The 

 drawings and article were headed " A Derby of 

 Doves," and the sketches illustrated three phases 

 of the event : the names of the types of pigeons, 

 The Start, and The Stare. The next year 

 (February 17th, 1872) it published a fanciful 

 picture and poem entitled " St. Valentine's Day 

 at Minerva House." The illustration represented 

 a girls' school, with Cupid as a winged messenger 

 at the closed front door, liberating flying love- 

 letters to the young ladies. I quote the first 

 six lines of the " poem " : 



See — like Mr. Tegetmeier — 



Love has turned a pigeon-flyer, 



Letting off a score of doves, 



Laden with all sorts of loves — 



Tender messages and kisses 



To a boarding-school of misses. 



Highly indicative, however, of the regard, or 

 rather disregard, in which " the low sport ' of 



