78 LIFE OF TEGETMEIER 



The Grange, Bishop's Stortford, of fourteen birds 

 by the Prince of Wales, and four by the Duke 

 of York for a pigeon race. " The first pigeon 

 reached Sandringham at 5 h. 56 m., the liberation 

 having been at 3 h. 26 m. — a very good perform- 

 ance for young birds that had been so slightly 

 trained, the distance of about 80 miles being 

 covered in two hours and a half." At the same 

 show, at which he acted as starter, he records that 

 " the unusual sight of the simultaneous liberation 

 of 800 birds was witnessed." These were racing 

 for prizes offered by Sir Walter Gilbey, and the 

 old colombophile dilates with pleasure on the 

 sight of so many birds. What would he have 

 thought could he have witnessed the flight of 

 the 7,863 young pigeons liberated on September 

 8th, 1913, at Bournemouth, on the occasion of 

 the National Flying Club Race, of which His 

 Majesty King George himself is president, and 

 in which over 4,000 fanciers from all parts of 

 Great Britain competed for prizes amounting 

 to nearly a thousand pounds ? Strange indeed 

 seems to-day the action of the secretary of the 

 Costal Palace in deferring a pigeon-race on 

 account of the late King's expected visit, now 

 that the present King is a confirmed colombophile, 

 and regularly enters his birds at races, and that 

 Members of Parliament lighten their labours by 

 sending off in competition flights of pigeons 

 from Palace Yard, Westminster ! 



