The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-26
TIE HOMISG INSTINCT.
Limitations Upon tho Ability OF Pigeons. Dogs.
and Cats TO Find Their Way Home.

To THE EDITOR or THE SCN-Sir: The Times
u London has devoted considerable space OF late
to correspondence in relation to the homing in.
stincts o. birds and animals. 1t reveals re.
markahlc ignorance on the part Of laymen as
to the extent OF that faculty.
Mr.. Tcgctmeicr. tho eminent Columbarian.
finds ii difficult to impress upon amateurs the
well establishcd fact that homing pigeons direct
their course exclusively by sight, and il they do
not know the country over which they fly, they
are inevitably lost. He emphaticaiiy denies
capacity in these birds to find their way from
sea when liberated AT any but a very short dis.
lance from land with which they are familiar.
Mr.. TcgctIncic. by careful investigation dis.
proves tho statement of another correspondent
Of the Times that two homing pigeons released
from a steamer in the Mediterranean 200 miles
from Marseillcs returned in due season TO their
coops in that town. They were never seen or
heard OF.
1t is officially stated that pigeons liberated
from the ships of the North Atlantic squadron
al practice at sea fifty miles east OF Cape Henry
reached Norfolk "A few hours after being freed.
The distance %; the ships IN the most direct lincf
from the land Is not EIvcn, nor 10 II stated how
much preliminary training at shorter fights
over the same area unit! the MT! mile limit was
reached WAS given the birds. DR.. Gregory OF
the National History Museum says that last
year AHurrc carried with him TO Spitzbergcn
seventy pigeons. He released them all nj in.
terry ais during the season, but not q single one
was seen or heard of aiicrward. From this it
was concluded that IL these birds could moi lind
their way down the west coast Ot Spitzbcrgcn
ana thence via Rear Island to the northern
lOrts Ot Norway, 4, was hopeless To expect that
they cOIlt rca"n home II liberated at sea ar over
the ice.
People are art 10 confuse two perfectly dis.
tinCt characteristic In birl--1Ec hi EratOGy
instinct, whlch is hereditary, il possessed c,ua..
~ by every !ndiN idual Of certain Species and is
exercised in ono direction only, and luc HON
inE %iu""Iil, which is tho result OF observation
and enables birds to Nv in any U~ircutiu, ia or,
der 10 regain their homes. Thi. faculty can
omly he rrmr!"ynn in : perfectly c!car aimo'
sc--"d ia the slightest degree by HON ny
pigeons.
Mr.. Tcac.mcior, in another letter to tho
Times. consider, the hnming instinct OF cats
and other domestic animal. lie says Of tho
former that they viii he LOST invariably II IN.
trained and conveyed n couple a.; miles from
lh"lr nome. Country eats, I"Noyur, that 10
long distances To hunt, ana thus acquire u
bHuwl"ip" uf locality, return readily. The
sumo Is true of dogs IN spite uf All anecdotes To
the contrary. OF II hundred ~ 'hc~r animals
thai are Lost = few will lind iAcil way home BY
wandering until they reach a wcll.knOwn land.
mark. These are cited a examples OF the
homing instinct, while the loss Of the immense
majority Is ignored.
Another correspondent Of tho Times, IN ref.
utation of the fccblcnC,,. Inlrss trained. of the
hon!lnS instinct in domestic animals asserted
10y NJ. Tcgctmcicr. cites the attic and horses
OF Australia. Cattle there, removed from the To-
raiilf where they are bred lonew pastures several
hundred miles away, VIII, unless carefully
guarded, at once head back for home. How.
ever circlitOus the route over which they are
driven, they invariably return by the shorter
a hQrse which returned home from a point 400
miIeB distant. The animal occupied four months
In the retrograde journey.
CENTRE M~oKIcHEs. sept 20.