Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-07-15
THE INSTINCT OF TRAVEL.
How Pigeons, Cats, Hounds and
Foxes Find Their Way Home
Through atrange Countries "A
n humber of Interesting Iilustra-
tive Anecdotes. W a"T dW

A writer in the Baltimore Sun says
that the French pigeon-post has re-
called attention to a subject that has
long had deep interest for naturalists--
) the power of instinct animals exhibit OF
finding their way back TO a spot from
whence they may have been taken, by a
road never before traversed by them.
Pigeons carrying messages or return
ing long distances to their "cotes =
most certainly find their way back by
means of sight This is evidenced by
the fact Of the long training required,
and their inability or disinclination to
fly during fog. But this means Of
finding out distant locality can not
apply in the cases we are about 70
record.
At Vancouyer's Island a gentleman
had a house on one side of Esquimault
harbor, wherein he and his family re-
sided. They had a favorite cat, which
was always made a great pet. 1t so
happened that the owner of the house
lhad occasion TO change his residence to
the other side of the harbor. The dis
tance in q straight line was quite a mile,
while to reach the house by making
circuit of the harbor, distance of quite
four miles must be travelled, and that
through dense forest Of pines, thickly
undergrown with brushwood. When the
family removed from one house to the
other, pussy was fastened securely into
basket and taken in a boat across the
harbor, and was not let out of her prison
until she was secured in q room at her
new residence.
- 1t is quite clear in this case that the
cat could not have seen anything Of the
route followed by water from house to
house. Strange as it may seem, she made
her escape during the night and when, on
the day following her removal, some of
the family returned for articles left be.
hind, there was pussy, somewhat dirty
and tired, but in perfect safety. Now
she could only have reached the resi-
denee in two ways-either by swimming
the harbor, which is by no means proba-
Bile, or she found her way through the
forest, where she had never been before,
and through thick underbrush, without
any trail or path to guide her; and what
makes the matter far more wonderful, is
the fact that the cat must have passed
close to an Indian village, around which
number Of half wild dogs were always
prowling. 3HhmaN 9ilat hae
There is another story of somewhat
similar character told of cat, which is,
| believe, well authenticated. When
living" says the writer, "at Four Paths,
Clarendon, Jamaica, wanted cat, and
had one given to me which was nearly
full grown; it was brought from Morgan's
Valley estate, whereit was Bred and had
never been removed from that place be-
fore. The distance was FIVE miles 1t
was put into canvas bag and carried
by a man on horseback. Between the
two places there we're two rivers, one Of
them eighty feet broad, and two feet and
a half Deep running strong; the other is
wider and more rapid, but less deep.
Over these rivers are no bridges. The
cat was shut up at -Four Paths for some
days, and when considered to be recon-
ciled TO her dwelling, she was allowed to
90 about the house. lsE n'Ie
"The day after obtaining her liberty
she was missing, and upon my next Wis
iting the estate she was brought from |
was quite amazed to learn that the cat
had come back again. Did she swim
over the rivers at the lords where the
horse came through with her, or did she
ascend the banks for a considerable dis
tance in search of more shallow place,
where the stream was less powerful 7
At all events she must have crossed the
rivers in opposition to her natural
habits.
/, myself, once had favorite spaniel,
called Sport He was lent to friend,
who came to fetch him. Sport was
placed in q dog-cart and driven to my
friends residence, a distance of over
twenty miles. The cart was so made
that air could freely get in for the dog |
to breathe, but by no possibility could |
any part of the road be seen during the
journey. On his arrival Sport was tied
up with stout rope under the manger
in the stable. During the night the dog
gnawed his rope, made his escape
through a broken window, and was dis
covered early in the morning succeeding
his departure sitting weary, hungry and
bedraggled OUTSIDE the door of my own
residence. Now, the question which
naturally presents itself is, how did the
dog find its way back along road not
one foot of which be had ever seen be-
fore? The remembrance of particular
objects noted by the way could not have
guided the dog, simply because he had
no opportunity afforded him of seeing
them. ...Ir
/ once, while living in the far West
rode a horse from my camp across a
prairie to an encampment of squatters,
a distance of more than twenty miles.
A river of some width was crossed on
the route, the horse being ferried over
in large boat. The animal had never
travelled the road previously, nor had it
ever run upon the prairie, and yet dur
ing the night it contrived 20 break its
thether line, and in the dark to find its
way back to our camp; and, what is
more strange, the horse actually swan
the stream it had, during the day, been
ferried over in boat. By what means,
it may be asked, did the horse contrive
to find its way over a grassy waste,
never trodden by it previously, to a
given point so far distant2 There was
no path or trail, and in the dark the /
horse could not, except by smelling,
have retraced its own footprints. "
Many similar anecdotes are on record,
to which the following authenticated /
cases may be added: A horse was
turned out in some marshes adjoining I
the Thames. The distance in a straight Z
forward line from his owners house was q
only few miles, but he had to be sent a |
long way around to cross.the bridge. In {
less than twenty-four hours he made his $
appearance at the stable-dOor, dripping {
wei having s,rarn iha river and faken q | :