Management oe Races. 
285 
“ The approximate number of the pigeons and value of the prizes would be : — 
Pigeons. 
Value of Prizes. 
1873 
197, 160 
591,400 francs. 
1874 
244, 160 
732,480 „ 
“ That a large number of the birds sent to these races never reach their homes is no doubt a 
fact, but the birds are generally lost at long distances, and not during the shorter training stages, 
as the case is here very often ; for the birds being marked, and so many people keeping pigeons, 
as soon as a bird is found the owner is communicated with as a rule, either directly or through 
L’ Epervier, the organ of the Societies and amateurs; though of course the persons who make a 
business of trapping birds for the London and other gun clubs take care to keep the birds for the 
purposes of their traffic. But possibly this organised system of theft will soon be put down by the 
law in Belgium. 
“Every owner of fancy or Homing Pigeons should carefully note any bird which has strayed to 
his loft, catch it, and, if branded, communicate with the owner ; or in case no name and address, 
but only a private mark is on the bird, inform the editor of the Live Stock Journal and Fancier s 
Gazette of the fact, in order that the bird may be returned if possible. The bird may be of value 
to the rightful owner; but is useless to the finder. He may himself be the loser of a bird some 
day, and glad to get it back again by the same means. The wings and the tail should be 
thoroughly examined, as I state once again for the benefit of novices, the brands are always to be 
found there if at all. 
“ I now come to the method of carrying out a race, and in this connection may mention that 
the two leading Societies in London — in fact the only Societies of any note — are the Alliance 
Amateur Pigeon Society, and the London Amateur Pigeon Society. Mr. Price is the secretary 
of the former, and I have the honour of holding a similar office for the latter. The Alliance is the 
older of the two, and formerly did not race on the Belgian system, but recently has adopted some 
of the Belgian regulations in certain of their races. The London Amateur Pigeon Society, how- 
ever, has adopted the Belgian system in toto (except that hitherto the races have been open to 
members only), and therefore I propose to give a sketch of the routine of a race as carried out by 
them. The birds must be entered on or before a certain day mentioned in the conditions of the 
race ; the distances from the starting-point to each member’s house are ascertained, and must be 
challenged (if at all) before the entries are closed. The distance between each member’s house and 
the nearest telegraph office is also ascertained, and ratable allowances made on such distances of ten 
minutes to the mile. The birds are then marked and registered with their number and description 
in a book kept for the purpose, the entry fees and training fees paid per bird, the latter fee being 
optional, as members may train their own birds if they wish. The birds are then delivered at the 
Society’s rooms each day named in the conditions, placed in panniers sealed with the Society’s leaden 
seals, and sent for training, and so on for each stage. Notice is given to the secretary of the birds 
sent each time, and he on hearing particulars of the start sends a copy of the same to each member 
having birds started at the particular stage in question. The night before the race, all the birds 
members intend to race with are brought to the rooms and given into the custody of two deputed 
members (if possible members having no birds entered) ; they are, after the meeting is over, privately 
marked with a letter, in addition to the stamp and number already on the wing, each bird with a 
different letter or letters, and the two members have them in their sole charge, and see them off on 
