In entire France, there are about 100,000 trained pigeons, and
forty-seven departments having pigeon-fancying societies.
_Germany._--After the war of 1870, Prussia, which had observed the
services rendered by pigeons during the siege of Paris, was the first
power to organize military dove cotes.
In the autumn of 1871, the Minister of War commissioned Mr. Leutzen, a
very competent amateur of Cologne, to study the most favorable
processes for the recruitment, rearing, and training of carrier
pigeons, as well as for the organization of a system of stations upon
the western frontier.
In 1872, Mr. Bismarck having received a number of magnificent Belgian
pigeons as a present, a rearing station was established at the
Zoological Garden of Berlin, under the direction of Dr. Bodinas.
In 1874 military dove cotes were installed at Cologne, Metz,
Strassburg, and Berlin. Since that time there have been organized, or
at least projected, about fifteen new stations upon the frontier of
France, upon the maritime coasts of the north, or upon the Russian
frontier.
Berlin remains the principal rearing station, with two pigeon houses
of 500 pigeons each; but it is at Cologne that is centralized the
general administration of military dove cotes under Mr.
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