Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1895 — A Migratory Invalid. [ARTICLE]

A Migratory Invalid.

A curious instance of sagacity on the part of a pigeon has come to my knowledge, writes a contributor to a London paper. Some time ago one of the blue rocks which frequent the square iu front of the Guild Hall had the misfortune, to damage Its leg. The bird was promptly taken care of by one of the policemen on duty there, and so well did the injured limb prosper that in a week or two it was able to join its friends, but, not, however, until the constable had tied about its leg a piece of red ribbon, so that be might identify the patient and see how it was getting along. A few days ago a gentleman who has also been much interested in the sick bird saw, to bis astonishment, among the pigeons contentedly feeding before St Mark’s in Venice, a blue rock which wore a red ribbon around its leg. He wired to the constable, whom he knew, “Have you missed pigeon with red ribbon?” The answer was returned, “Yes, three or four days since it has been seen.” The bird must have known that bad weather was due in London, and taken a health excursion to Italy.