The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-03-17
The "HOming Instinct in Pigeons.

Mr.. Ernest Ingersoll contributes to
Scribner curiously interesting paper on
Chow Animals get Home" from which
we clip these paragraphs. Mr.. Ingersoll
rejects the theory of any special homing
instinct, attributing the remarkable ex.
amples of returning animals to an at
tractive use of the senses: n
One of the most striking powers pos
sessed by animals is that OF finding their
way home from great distance, and over
a road with which they are supposed to be
unacquainted. 1t has long been Ques-
ton whether we are to attribute these re-
markable performances to a purely IN
tuitive perception by the animal of the
direction and the practicable route to his
home, or whether they are the result of
curious study of the situation, and de-
finite carrying out of ll,judged plans.
Probably the most prominent example
of this wonderful power IS the case of
homing pigeons. These pigeons are very
strong Of wing, and their intelligence is
cultivated to high degree; for their
peculiar gift has been made use of since
''time whereof tie memory of man run
meth not to the contrary The princi-
pal OF heredity, therefore, now acts with
much force; nevertheless. each young
bird must be subjected to severe training
in order to fit it for those arduous COM
petitions which annually take place
among frst-rate birds. AS soon as the
fedg]ing is fairly strong on its wings, it
is taken few miles from the cote and
released. 1t rises into the air, looks about
it and starts away for home. There isno
mystery about this at all-when it has
attained the height of few yards the
bird can see it's cote, and full of that
strong love for home which is character
istic of its Wild ancestors, the blue-rocks,
it hastens back to the society Of its mates.
Next day the trial distance is doubled,
and the third day is still further increased
until in a few weeks it will return from
distance of seventy miles, which is all
that bird Of the-year is eft" to do; and
when two years old, will return from 200
miles, longer distances being left to more
mature birds. But all this training must
be in a continuous direction; if the first
lesson was toward the east, subsequent
lessons must also be; nor can the added
distance each time exceed a certain limit,
for then, after trying this way and that,
and failing to recognize any land mark,
the bird will simply come back to where
it was thrown up. Moreover, it must al
ways be clear weather. Homing pigeons
will make no attemp to start in fog,
Or if they do get away,a hundred chances
. to one they will be lost. Nor do they
travel at night, but settle down at dusk
and renew their journey in the morning.
When snow DISCUSSES the landscape,
also, many pigeons 60 astray. None
of these circumstances seriously
hampers the semi annual migration of
swallows Or geese. They journey at night
as we'll as by day, straight over vast bod
les of water and flat deserts, true to the
north or south. Homing pigeons fly
northward or southwark, east or west.
equally we'll, and 1t is evident that their
course is guided only by observation.
Watch one tossed. On strong pinions it
mounts straight up into the air a hun,
dred feet. Then it begins to sweep
around in great circles, rising higher and
higher, until-if the locality is seventy
five Or one hundred miles beyond where
it has ever beenA Defore-ltwill go almost
out Of sight. Then suddenly you will
see it strike off upon straight course
and that course IS homeward. But take
the same bird there a second time anG
none of these aerial revolutions occur
its time is too pressing, its homesickness
too intense for that; instantly it will
turn its lace toward its owners dove
cote. "