, 1896-12-23
HOMING PIGEONS.
POINTS FROM FANCleRS ON THESE
INTELLIGENT BIRDS.

Fly by sight The Four Points In UIom-
ing Pigeons Which Ts.ncier- Consider Of
Urine Importance.
What the peculiar gift is which en-
ahlCs the plgg on to return to its home
from great distances IS II matter npon
which authorities disagree. The most
general opinion among those who know
anything uf the subject is that the birds
fly by sight alone. This theory would
seem to he borne ont by the fact that
the rest and most highly bred of racing
binds nave frequently been lost in the
London fops. The fact hat instinct is
uurrrirg and that the homing pigeon
not only frequently crrs, but exhibits at
times great INDIGESTION as to the correct
course for him to pursue, seems to pre-
cluG. the idea that he is governed solely
by instinct. The theory which is most
centrally accepted is that the bird is
gifted with remarkable eycsight and
also with u memory for landmarks which
is superior to II similar faculty i'll any
other animal. That the bird possesses n
high order Of intelligence is shown from
IitH lutl llal lllll'IS WHICH ilstNt Itttlllb
lost in Il 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 purlus' even the best fanCicrs often
pick ont birds us most like racers that
cannot fly 20 miles without becoming
lost. The mpanost, most scragEy looking
bird, without a single good point, some
| times leaves Its handsome competitor.
who is, to all appearances, perfect i'll
physical proportions, far i'll the rear.
Still, f%ancicrs look with interest at -four
| points i'll II huming pigeon which are
considered Of prime importance. The
first Of these is, strange as the fact may
appear to n novice III the art, the Cyc.
Nlr. Starr, one 'f the foremost and mos,
successful of American fanciers, has
this to say Of the eye:
'Thc white eye may mean the cumU.
let, and, if go. indicates that the bird
will fly high, have great endurance and
wing power. If the eye is dark, the head
round and the leak short and close fit
ting, there will re IL proponderance 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
aCtcr of the color, the ball must extend
beyond the line of the head and be so
placed that the bird should have Il view
of what is behind as well as before it.
When II bird returns from Il journey
over much new territory, this protrusion
of the cycball is greatly increased, show
ing to what a great strain h powers Of
vision have been subjected"
While Nj. STAIR, i'll common with
other successful American funciors, pays
little or no attention either to the size
or shape of the head, this point is the
second at which European ~fauciors look
with interest. 1t is generally conceded
that the shape makes but little differ
encc. The skull may be fiat, long and
narrow, or high, short and wide, but it
must have room for the brain, and for u
large brain at that, or else the bird is
not considered "a likely candidate for
racing hOnCrS Great stress is laid Oh
this organ by all Belgium and Holland
fanciers, but i'll this country the feature
is almost entirely overlooked.
| II tIltNt SiItulu Dt DlCut anu Is VI uS
great Importance as the wing. A mar
row chestcd bird can fly no great dis
lance without cxerting the muscles
| which give fullness to the breast beyond
their endurance. The wings and tail
should both be exceptionally long, rs
the tail acts as II rudder, and the short
er wings require much added eXertion
for the same amount Of flying.
The color Of II pigeon has no signiti-
canoe, but tho rule in breeding is to
cross the coiors 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 ut the age of 10 weeks,
it is thought best to give a 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.
tancos of between 2 and 80 miles at in
tervals Of two or three days apart.
Many birds are lost in these trial trips,
IL those which return safely from tho
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 arc not supposed to be flown
more than so miles before taking part
i'll 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 t%oughened for the longer races.-
Chicago Chronicle.