THE C0L0MB0PH1LE 79 



In an article appearing in the Daily News of 

 November 8th, 1899, entitled "Her Majesty's 

 Pigeons " — which from evidence internal and 

 external I have every reason to believe was 

 written by the old fancier — particulars are given 

 of the military pigeon-posts of Europe, as well 

 as some details of the pigeons then used in the 

 Koval Navv. The article starts off with a refer- 

 ence to the official despatch from Ladysmith 

 received at Durban, which was telegraphed to 

 Sir Redvers Buller and re-telegraphed to the 

 War Office. It gives credit to the " untiring 

 efforts " of Colonel Hassard, R.E., for the fact 

 that "we were able to read Sir George White's 

 message, sent off from Ladysmith by pigeon-post 

 on Friday, in the Monday morning paper." 

 Tegetmeier, for undoubtedly it was he who 

 penned the article, goes on to say that "It is 

 only quite recently that our Government decided 

 to establish a service of homing pigeons for the 

 use of the Army, and this effort to remedy a 

 very serious defect in our Intelligence Depart- 

 ment did not come a moment too soon." He 

 refers to the fact that the training of pigeons had 

 been systematically carried out in Cape Colony, 

 and hopes that events in South Africa will lead 

 to the War Office doing " more to encourage 

 pigeon flying at our foreign stations than they 

 have done heretofore," and comments that 

 " pigeons are capable of rendering greater service 



