Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1880-03-18
The "HOming Instinct in Pigeons.

Mr.. Ernest Ingersoll contributes to
,Scribner a curiously interesting paper on
"How Animals get Home,' from which
we clip these paragraphs. Mr.. Iugersoll
rejects the theory of any special homing
instinct, attributiug the remarkable ex.
amples of returning animals to an at
tractive use of the senses:
One of the most striking powers pos
sesseG by animals is that o. finding their
way home from great distance, and over
road with which they are supposed 10 be
unacquainted. It has long been ques-
ton whether we are 10 attribute 'hece 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 a de-
finite carrying OUT of wclljudged 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 the 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
fedgling is fairly strong on its wings, it
| is taken few miles from the cote and
released. It rises into the air, looks about
| it and starts away for home. There is no
| mystery about this at all-when it has
attained the height of Few yards the
bird can see its cote, and 1ull of that
strong love for home which is character.
istic of its wild ancestors, the blue-rocks
it hastens back to the society OF it mates
| Next day the trial distance is doubled,
| and the third day is sill further increased
until in few weeks il will return from
a distance of seventy miles, which is all
that bird of the-year is eft" to do; and
when two years old, will retu~n from zoe
miles, longer distances being left to more
mature birds. But all this training N isl
be in continuous direcio /; if the frs
lesson was toward the east, subsequent
lessons must also be: nor can the added
distance each time exceed certain limit
for then, after trying this way and that
al falling to recognize any land mark,
the bird will simply come back % where
it was thrown up. Moreover, it mus, al
ways be clear weather. Homiug pigeons
will make no attempt TO start in a fog
or if they do get away, hundred chances
to one they will be los. Nor do they
travel at night, but settle down at dusk
and renew their iourney in the morning
When snow DISCUSSES the landscape
also, many pigeons go astray. None
of these circumstances seriously
hampers the semi annual migrat' on O
swallows or geese. They journey at nigh
as well as by day, straight over vast bod
les of weter and fiat deserts, true TO tbt
north or south. Homing pigeons fly
northward or southwark, esst or west
equally we'll, and 1t is evident that thei
course is guided only by observation
Watch one tossed. On strong pinions i
mounts straight up into the air hun
bred feet. Then t begins to SWEEP
around in great circles, rising higher ant
higher, until-if the locality is seventy
five or one hundred miles beyond wher
it has ever enkbefo1e-lawill go almos
out Of sight. Then suddenly you will
see it strike off upon straight course
and that course is homeward. But tax
the same bird there second time ant
none of these aerial revolutions occur
; its time is too pressing, its HON esicknes
too intense for that; instantly it will
turn its face toward its owners dove
COTE .........u