Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-01-14
HOMING PIGEONS.
Joints FROM FANcIERS ON THESE
INTELLIGENT BIRDS.

C8fe1ul OOSefverB Deciare Inot tne Bsro1
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 a 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 Lost in the
London foes. The fact that instinct is
unerring and that the homing pigeon
not only frequently errs, but exhibits at
times great indecision 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 a similar faculty in any
other animal. That the bird possesses a
high order of intelligence is shown from
the fact that homers which have become
lost in a race will frequently return 10
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 out birds as most like racers that
cannot fly 20 miles without becoming
lost The meanest, most scraggy locking
bird, without a 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 ut four
points in a homing pigeon which are
considered of prime Importance. The
first of these is, strange as the fact may
appear to a novice in the art, the eye.
Mr.. Starr, one Of the foremost and most
successful of American fanciers, has
this to say Of the eye:
''The white eye may mean the cumu-
let, and, if 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 a 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 Sc
placed that the bird should have view
of what is behind as well as before it.
When bird returns from q 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 a
large brain at that, or else the bird is
not considered q likely candidate for
racing honors. Great stress is laid ON
this organ by all Belgium and Holland
fanciers, but in 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
, lance without exerting the muscles
which give fullness to the breast beyond
their endurance. The wings and tail
should both be exceptionally long, NJ
the tail acts as n rudder, and the short.
er wings require much added exertiou
for the same amount Of flying.
The color Of pigeon has no signif.
canoe, but the rule in breeding is &c
cross the colors when practicable.
Even the best bred Of the homer.
require most careful and intelligent
training before they are entered in
races. While the physique of the bird i.
well developed at the age Of 10 weeks
1t Is thought best to give q considerably
longer time for the brain to develop be
J fore the bird is trained for the worl
which lies ahead of him. At the age O.
4 months the first trial trips may b,
made, and he is then flown from dis
tances of between and 80 mikes Mt in
tervals Of two or three days apart
Many birds are lost in these trial trips
and those which return safely from tn,
longer trial trips may be considered Fl
to enter in the young bird races. Tn,
shortest of these is 100 miles in length
and birds are not supposed to be flowr
more than so miles before taking par
in the speed trials.
For the young birds the system O
training is supposed to accomplish tw,
widely different results. In the frs
place they teach the young bird to re
turn to his loft, and in the second the,
develop the muscles and prepare then
! for the hard work which the races will
require of them. Training trips for old
er birds are made with the sole view q
getting their muscles limbered up aeair
and toughened for the longer races
Chicago Chronicle.