THE COLOMBOPHILE 83 



the use of the word " Post," so the word " Pigeon- 

 gram " was invented, and printed as a surcharge 

 over the offending words " Special Post." The 

 next issues bore the word " pigeongram " as part 

 of the design. The triangular stamps reproduced 

 in the Field and St. James's Budget were, I fear, 

 made more for sale to stamp-collectors than for 

 actual use in this unique pigeon-post. Strangely 

 enough, in the very number of my little carto- 

 philic magazine containing the article on the 

 Pigeongrams appeared a paragraph to the effect 

 that it was said a great English apiarist had 

 succeeded in turning to account the homing 

 instincts of bees for carrying messages. " He 

 took some bees a long way from their hive, 

 gummed to tbeir wings a tiny micro-photographed 

 letter, and set them loose. They all found their 

 way safely home. In time of war these postal 

 bees would have this advantage over carrier 

 pigeons — it would be impossible to shoot them ! " 

 I wish I had shown this to Tegetmeier — I wonder 

 what he would have said ! 



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