The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-02-24

homers for racing even the best fanciers
are often mistaken and select birds that
cannot fly twenty-five miles without be-
ing lost. Often the meaneSt looking
bird, apparently without a good point,
leaves its handsome rival behind. Still,
there are four points always considered
in selecting and breeding homing pigeons
for racing purposes. These points are
the eyes, the size of the head, the width
of the chest, and the length of the tail
and WINGS
In speaking of the eye, one successful
fancier has this to say: THE white eye
may mean cumulet, and, if so, indicates
that the bird will fly high, have great
endurance and wing power. If the eye
is dark, the head round, the beak short
and close fitting, there Will be pre-
ponderance of the owl type, and this bird
will in all probability fly later at night
than any other type. But, whatever the
color, the ball must extend beyond the
line of the head and be so placed that
the bird should have a view of what is
behind ii as well as what is before.
When a bird returns from journey
over much new territory, this protrusion
Of the eyeban is greatly increased, in
dicating TO what great strain the
powers of vision have been subjected
To the second point, the size and shape
of the head, very little attention is
paid by American fanciers, though the
Europeans look upon IT as prime i'm
poTtance. 1t is generally concede by
Americans that the shape makes very
little difference. The skull may be fiat,
long, and narrow or high, short, and
wide but / must have room for the
brain ard for a large brain at that,
otherwise the bird is not considered for
racing hOuorS. Particular stress IS laid
on this feature in Belgium and Holland
The shape and size of the chest are Of
great Importance. 1t should be full and
broad. \ narrow-cheSted bird can fly no
great distance without eXerting the mus
cleS which give fullnesS to the breast
beyond their endurance. The wings and
tail should be exceptionally long, as the
tail acts as a rudder, and the shorter
wings require much added eXertion for
the same amount of flying. There are
some fancierS who contend that the first
Matching of the season are not to be
preferred for racing, but the majority
pay no attention TO that.
But even the beSt-bred homerS have to
be trained carefully and intelligenty be-
fore they are entered in races. While
the physique of the average bird is
well developed at the age of ten weeks.
il is generally considered best to give
much longer time for the brain to
| develop before the bird is trained for
work Usually at the age of four
months the first trial trip is made. He
is then flown from distances between two
and seventy miles at intervals of two or
three DAYS Many excellent birds are
lost in these trial trips, and those who
return after reasonable time are con-
sidered fit TO he entered in the young
birds races. The shortest of these races
is one hundred miles, and birds are
not supposed TO have been flown more
than ninety miles before taking part in
these speed trials.
This system of training is supposed to
accomplish two widely different results
for the young bird. In the first place it