Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-12-03
HOMING PIGEONS.
POINTS FROM FANClERS ON THESE
INTELLIGENT BIRDS.

Fly by sight-The -Four Points In HON.
ing Pigeons Which Fanciers Consider Of
Prime Importance.
What the peculiar gift is which en-
ables the pigeon to return to its home
from great distances is matter upon
which authorities disagree. The most
general opinion among those who know
anything OF the subject is that the birds
fly by sight alone. This theory would
seem to be borne out by the fact that
the best and most highly bred of racing
birds have frequently been lest in the
London fogs. The fact that instinct is
unerring and that the homing pigeon
not only frequently errs, but exhibits at
times great INDIGESTION as to the correct
course for him to pursue, seems to pre-
clude the idea that he is governed solely
by instinct. The theory which is most
generally accepted is that the bird is
gifted with remarkable eyesight and
also with memory for landmarks which
is superior to similar faculty in any
other animal. That the bird possesses O
high order Of intelligence is shown from
the fact that homers which have become
lost in race will frequently return to
the room in which they have been kept
at the starting point Of their speed test.
In selecting homing pigeons for rae
ing purposes even the best fanciers often
pick ont birds as most like racers that
cannot fly 30 miles without becoming
lost. The meanest, most scraggy looking
bird, without single good point, some
times leaves its handsome competitor,
who is, to all appearances, perfect in
physical proportions, far in the rear.
Still, fanciers look with interest at four
points in homing pigeon which are
considered Of prime Importance. The
first Of these Is, strange as the fact may
appear to novice in the art, the eye.
Mr.. Starr one of the foremost and most
successful Of American fanoiers, has
this to say Of the eye:
'The whits eye may mean the cumu-
let, and, il so. indicates that the bird
will fly high, have great endurance and
wing power. If the eye is dark, the head
round and the beak short and close fit
ting, there will be q preponderance of
the owl type, and the result will be
that the bird will fly later at night than
any other type. But, whatever the char
acter Of the color, the ball must extend
beyond the line of the head and be so
placed that the bird should have view
of what is behind as well as before it,
When bird returns from a journey
over much new territory, this protrusion
of the eyeball is greatly increased, show
ing to what great strain the powers of
vision have been subjected.
While Mr.. Starr, in common with
other successful American fanciers, pays
little or no attention either to the size
or shape of the head, this point is the
second at which European fanciers look
with interest. 1t is generally conceded
that the shape makes but little differ
ence. The skull may be fiat, long and
narrow, or high, short and wide, but it
must have room for the brain, and for
large brain at that, or else the bird is
not considered a likely candidate for
this organ by all Belgium and Holland
fanciers, but i'll this country the feature
is almost entirely overlooked.
The chest should be broad and is of as
great Importance as the wing. A mar
row chested bird can fly no great dis
tance without exerting the muscles
which give fullness to the breast beyond
their endurance. The wings and tail
should both be exceptionally long, as
the tail acts as rudder, and the short
er wings require much added exertion
for the same amount of flying.
The color of pigeon has no signifi-
canoe, but the rule in breeding is to
cross the colors when practicable.
Even the best bred of the homers
require most careful and intelligent
training before they are entered in
races. While the physique of the bird is
well developed at the age of 10 weeks,
it is thought best to give considerably
longer time for the brain to develop be-
fore the bird is trained for the work
which lies ahead of him. At the age of
4 months the first trial trips may be
made, and he is then flown from dis
tances of between 2 and 80 miles at in
tervals of two or three days apart.
Many birds are lost in these trial trips,
and those which return safely from the
longer trial trips may be considered fit
to. enter in the young bird races The
shortest Of these is 100 miles in length,
and birds are not supposed to be flown
more than 80 miles before taking part
in the speed trials.
For the young birds the system of
training is supposed to accomplish two
widely different results In the first
place they teach the young bird to re-
turn to his loft, and in the second they
develop the muscles and prepare them
for the hard work which the races will
require of them. Training trips for old
er birds are made with the sole view Of
getting their muscles limbered up again
and toughened for the longer races
Chicago Chronicle.