The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1870-12-22
The French Carrier Pigeons.

I
| The carrier pigeon is larger than tho
common pigeos being usually about
lilteen inches in length, and weighing
from a pound 10 pound aud half
As to the instinct. or whatever il may
be called, which leads parrier-pigeon
TO mike such wunderous flights, Datar-
alists seem TO be pretty " n agreed that
il is made up Of two elements---inve IL
home aud keenness ofsight Mr.. Ren.
uie speaking Of the PIGEONS power Of
vision says I'VE have not doubt That
it Il by the eye allne that the carrier
pigem performs those extraordinary
aerial journeys which have from The
earliest ages excited asionishment. We
have frequently witnessed the experi
uent nude with other pigeons OF taking
them 10 distance from the dove cot,
expressly TO observe their manner Of
iiudiug their way back aud we feel
satisfied that their proceedings are uni.
formly the same. On being let 20 from
the bag n whi.hthey have been carried ID
order to conceal the objects on the road,
they dart of on an Irregular excursion,
as If 4 w.ra more 70 ascertain the real
iiy Of their freedom than to nuke al
effort to return When they find thenl-
selves Ut full liberty, they direct their
flight 10 circles round the spot whence
they have been liberated, not only in7
ereasing the diameter OF the circle nt
every round. but rising at the same
time gradually higher This is contin-
ue us long as the eye can DISCERN the
birds mud hence we conclude that i Il
also continued after we lose sight Of
them--a constantly Increasing circle,
being made till they ascertain some
known object, enabling them TO shape
direct course. A spiral directly the
reverse in character is made By pig
con let down from the carofa ballUouj the
bird drops pcrpendieularly for some
distance, aud then begins TO wheel round
in descending spiral, increasing In
diameter until some previously known
object is described by which the fight
home may be regulated Their vision
is undoubtedly very keen. In their
wild state, as seen 10 America, they hy
in amazingly large hoeks over Wild
ranges Of country, Keeping high 10 the
air, aud flying With extended front 50
as to enable them y survey hundreds
Of acres at once. They can desery q
fertile field at wonderful distance, and
viii descend with nnerring accuracy 10
cujoy the meal Of which they are 10
search.
Whatever may be said about the in-
stilet that is at work, good deal Of
training is necessary 10 make the pig;
cons trustworthy in their fight The
Turks have paid much attention to this
matter When a young pigeon arrives
at full strength Of wing it is hoodwink
ed, or else put into basket, aud taken
TO a distance Of half a mile or SO from
home being set at liberty it scars aloit,
looks keenly aroand, selects course
aud flies hcre. Il is then tried a mile,
two miles, four, eight miles, until at
length il will traverse the whole length
or breadth Of Kingdom. If the pigeon
fail 10 the first journey or two, ID il
discarded rs not being fitted for this
kind Of work. These Tarkey pigeons
were regularly used as media Of com
munication in past years Russell, ip
his History Of Aleppo, tells US that the
Turkey Company's establishments at
that city employed carrier pigeons to
bring news from Scanderoon, the near
est Mediterranean port. When any Of