was the balloon post,
and almost the only messages received within the city came by carrier
pigeons. There were free balloons and passenger balloons, a higher
rate of postage being charged for the latter. Letter sheets, etc.,
were issued for both services inscribed "PAR BALLON NON-MONTE," or PAR
BALLON MONTE. A register was kept of the services of aeronauts during
the siege.

The messages sent by pigeons were at first written in very small
handwriting, but afterwards they were photographed in microscopical
minuteness, so that a very large number could be carried by one
pigeon. These photomicrographs were projected on to a screen by
means of an optical lantern to read and transcribe the messages when
received in Paris. The films were placed in tubes attached to
the pigeon's tail. One pigeon arriving in Paris January 28, 1871,
delivered 40,400 messages by this means.

The later and more peaceful history of France has been typified on
its stamps by M. Jules Sage's allegory (_Fig._ 143) representing Peace
clasping hands with Commerce across the world by means of the post,
and by the late M. Roty's pleasing Semeuse or Sower design (_Fig._
144).

[Illustration: 143 144]

By a law promulgated February 9, 1900, a long discussed project to
allow soldiers and sailors serving with the colours a limited
free postage was brought into operation. Each man coming under the
description was allowed to send two letters a month free, and by
another law of December 29, 1900, the _Franchise Militaire_ stamp
system was introduced. These were at first the then current 15 centimes
stamps with the overprint F.M. (_Fig._ 145); their distribution is in
the hands of the military authorities, who allow two stamps a month to
each private or non-commissioned officer in the Army and Navy, enabling
them to send two letters not exceeding 20gr. free of postage. The two
types of the 15 centimes "Rights of Man" issue exist with the F.M.
overprint, issued in 1901 and 1903 respectively (_Figs._ 145, 146), and
the succeeding Sower type (_Fig._ 147) appeared in 1904. When the French
inland postage rate was reduced from 15 centimes to 10 centimes, April
16, 1906, the 10 centimes stamps were overprinted F.M. instead of the
15 centimes, two of the Sower types of 10 centimes value receiving the
overprint F.M. respectively in 1906 and 1907 (_Figs._ 148, 149).
Since January 30, 1912, these stamps have been used on the official
correspondence of the French civil