FROM FARTHEST SOUTH.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 141, 14 December 1908, Page 8

FROM FARTHEST SOUTH.

STEWART ISLAND TO WELLINGTON. A FLIGHT OF HOMERS. Though for the last seven years flights of birds under tha auspices of tho Wellington Homing Pigeon Society have been successfully accomplished from 'the Far North, Parengarenga to Wellington, they have never until this year flown from farther South than Christchurch. Four of the oldest members of the society decided to try a longer flight from the South. On Saturday, the 7th December, six birds were sent to Mr. Gerard, of Christchurch, who forwarded them by the first express on Monday to the Bluff. They were taken over to Halfmoon Bay, Stewart Island, by Captain Lovett on Wednesday. Thursday was a bad day, rain being general. Ou "Friday, the postmaster at Halfmoon Bay, who had kept charge of the birds, wired that he had liberated them at six o'clock that morning. Halfmoon Bay is over 500 miles from (Wellington in an airline. Reports came of thunder and hail storms in Canterbury, and at six o'clock on Friday evening there was heavy weather in the Straits. All hope of the birds arriving on Friday night was abandoned. The .'arrival of the birds at all was in question. On Saturday morning, however, ]\lr. A. Clark trapped his b.c. hen Virtne, Mr. J. H. Clark's b c cock Magiclan being timed in two minutes later, Mr. W. Ahler's blue hen al 6.18 a.m., and Mr. C. Haynes's b c hen at 8.50 a:m. In the fonr races from South (Culverden, Ashburton, Dunedin, and Halfmoon Bay ) Mr. J. H. Clark's Magician secured second place in each, and wins a silver spoon. By winning from Halfmoon Bay, Virtue secures for Mr. A. Clark a gold medal presented by the. secretary, Mr. P. W. Lamb.