DOMESTICATED BIRDS 179 



this for the reason that it has some possible utiHty to man 

 and is now much attended to. This is known as the carrier 

 pigeon. 



In early time, before the invention of the railway and 

 telegraph, some ingenious breeder of pigeons, observing the 

 constant way in which these creatures returned to the place 

 where they were bred, invented the plan of using them to 

 convey information. This service was found convenient not 

 only for ordinary correspondence, but was exceedingly valu- 

 able where a place was beleaguered by an enemy. In such 

 cases carrier pigeons could often be used to convey infor- 

 mation across the otherwise impassable lines. Even in mod- 

 ern times, as, for instance, during the last siege of Paris, 

 these swift and sure flying birds proved of great use in 

 keeping up communications between the people of the in- 

 vested town and the French armies in the field. Letters 

 in cipher, sometimes photographed down until the characters 

 were microscopically fine, were made into packages of small 

 weight in order not to impede the flight of the bird, carefully 

 affixed to its body, and thus sent away. Very generally these 

 curious shipments came to the hands of those for whom they 

 were destined. The birds can be trusted to fly at night ; they 

 retain for a long time the memory of their home, and spare 

 no pains to return to it. 



The homing power of the carrier pigeon appears to be a 

 special development of a natural capacity, as is also its swift- 

 ness and endurance in flight. Our other breeds and the wild 

 species whence they have all come are not disposed to under- 

 take long journeys ; they rarely, indeed, wander far from their 

 abiding places. Our experience with the carriers shows how 

 readily the creatures may be educated to perform feats which 



