3 DECEMBER 1870, Page 3

Science has done a great deal for the besieged French,

not only in the way of balloons, but in the way of photography. We under- stand that the messages by carrier-pigeon are usually written on a piece of thin paper, not nearly four square inches in extent, which is put into a quill and fastened to one of the tail- feathers of the pigeon. Upon this little scrap of paper is photographed, in characters far too small to be either written or read without the most powerful miscroscope, an im- mense number of messages. The little scrap is divided into four columns, the first column describing the nature of the docu- ment, and the other three filled with Government messages. What a blessing it would be to have all despatches so sent even in time of peace I Imagine the Colonial Office limited to three- quarters of four square inches, and compelled to read its despatches by the aid of a powerful microscope. The Colonies would soon get quite friendly with us under such regime as that.