76 LIFE OF TEGETMEIER 



pigeon-flying was generally held in those early 

 days, was the action of the secretary of the 

 Crystal Palace in postponing the first great 

 race when he learned that the Prince of Wales 

 (afterwards King Edward VII.) intended to visit 

 the Palace on the day appointed for it. Teget- 

 meier never tired of telling the story how that 

 " anything so vulgar and degrading as a pigeon- 

 race on the same day that the Heir to the Throne 

 appeared was not to be thought of, and he (the 

 secretary) insisted on the flight being deferred." 

 As there was no time then to write explaining 

 to the Belgian competitors, Tegetmeier hastened 

 off at an hour's notice, without even going home 

 for his luggage, to Brussels to make the necessary 

 arrangements for postponing the race. It came 

 off on June 24th, 1871, and was " a great success," 

 afterwards wrote the organiser, who added : "I 

 believe His Royal Highness was annoyed at its 

 being deferred, for he soon after became a flyer 

 himself, and had many good birds at the 

 Sandringham lofts." Tegetmeier had his revenge, 

 for in time the pastime became not only 

 popular but highly respectable and was indulged 

 in by the highest in the land, and he often 

 had the pleasure of witnessing the flight of 

 Royal birds sent by the late and the present 

 King to flying matches at which he officiated. 

 Thus as late as 1900 he reported in the Field 

 the sending to a horticultural exhibition held at 



