Coop D'Etat

Pigeons Are Homing In On Art

Racing pigeons can be trained to study paintings and evaluate them like a critic, according to Japanese scientists who offered the birds food as an incentive to study the colour, pattern and texture of paintings. The birds were shown paintings diplayed on a computer monitor and consistently pecked at those that had been judged "good" by human critics.

FOOTNOTE: Pecking order.

Anything To Declare, Sir?

Only These Homing Pigeons, Officer

A man was caught with two pigeons stuffed in his trousers after he got off an international flight in Melbourne. Australian Customs officials say the live birds were wrapped in padded envelopes and held to the man's legs by a pair of tights under his trousers.

FOOTNOTE: Pigeon coup.