The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-02-12
CARRIER PIGEONS
Some Interesting Information Con-
corning Them.
THEIR VALUE IN TIME OF WAR
Where They are Used On
ly for Sporting Purposes.
Taught to Fly in Either Direction.
How They Make Their Start
When Freed.

The Popular Science Monthly has the
following interesting account of the
| Evolution of the Carrier Pigeons" by
NJ G. Renaud:
| Messenger pigeons are certainly OF
great service in time of war as means
of communication between different
parts of the army and the country
when the telegraph lines have been
broken But this does not account for
the great extension which has taken
place in the last few years in pigeon
training. Belgium, for example, has
as many pigeons as all other European
countries put together. But in select
ing and training the best varieties of
pigeons, the Belgians have not been
actuated solely by consideration OF ma
tional defense. Their interest in their
favorite sport is largely determined by
the excitement of gaming, and their
Sunday pigeon matches are occasions
of much betting. Very few persons
think now of utilizing pigeons for pur-
poses of daily life. They have the tele-
phone, telegraph and mail. Why should
they go back TO so primitive method
of correspondence? Hence an excuse
is devised for RELOCATING the pigeon to
the category of luXurieS. We hope TO
show that it is something more i'm
portant We believe that relations OF
every kind would gain much in con-
yenience if the pigeon was employed
concurrently with the most improved
means of correspondence. This useful
messenger might, in many cases, sup
Element, or even take the place, OF the
post and telegraph. The most elabor-
ate system of telegraph lines can only
serve places of a certain degree OF i'm
portance, and they are not built to
effect connections, the use of which is
not constant or profitable enough to
Justify the expenses of constructing
and maintaining them.
Most valuable use has been made of !
carrier pigeons in the past. The an
cient civilized empires of Asia included |
many perhaps relatively well settled |
regions infested by robbers and eX- |
tensive deserts, through which we'll |
armed caravans passed, but inconyeni- |
emily, and where the most secure |
means of communication was by means |
OF these birds The Greeks borrowed |
the use of pigeons from these nations, |
and an Eginetan athlete sent home the |
news of his victory at Olympia by |
means of one of them. The Romans
had a system of optical telegraphy, !
and supplemented it by pigeons. The |
use of this aerial post became more and |
more general toward the end of the |
empire.
THE birds that stock our pigeon
houses are of the Belgian breed, which /.
has been developed by centuries of Sc
lection from the rock pigeon. This
breed differs much from its wild an
cestors in habits and instincts. The I
carrier pigeon is not quite so large as |
the ring pigeon, but has a more eX-
pressive head, more elegant form and |
more brilliant and varied plumage. |
The training of the young pigeons be /
gin when they are three or four |
months old They are let loose at grad /
ualIy increasing distances all in one F.
direction from the pigeon houses. At
six months. of age one should be able /
to return from a distance of 200 miles .
at q speed of 80 miles an hour At .
the end of the second year it should .
be able TO come back from distances .
OF more tudh o'' MITES, anu o. lue /
third year from 600 miles. Pigeons re
turn more rapidly from places lying in .
the direction from which they have .
been trained.
Training in one direction has some .
advantages and several disadvantages "
in practice: but as the trainer of today .
is not seeking useful results. but sim
ply TO beat in the races. he adopts the .
method hest adaDfed IN his OlJrDOSP
As the races at the same city always
take place over the same course, why
take the trouble to give the birds q
various training? Under the stimulus
of the races, and through the training
for them, a great improvement has
been effected in the quality and pow
ers of pigeons.
1.-TWO interesting questions present