Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-10-27
THE CARRIER PIGEON
MYSTERY OF THE METHOD BY WHICH
1T FINDS IT'S WAY.
How n French Scientist Tries to Explain
the Taking OF Bearings and Homcward
Flight by These swift Winged Messen-
gers of the Air.

The faculty possessed by many AMI
mails for finding their way home
through an unknown region has always
been more or less of mystery. 1t rises
10 its height in the case Of the carrier
pigeon and its would be explainers fall
back Oh expedients that range all the
way from "A mysterious special sense OF
"orientation" down to everyday or
binary observation Of landmarks, such
as man uses when he finds his way
| Most authorities are now inclined to
take a middle course, and believe that
the pigeon finds it's way by methods
more or less ordinary but by very
extraordinarily skilled combination of
! them.
We translate below part of an article
on the subject, contributed by M A.
| Thauzies TO the Revue Scientifique
! The authors assumption that the ami
| NAL organism is sensitive to magnetic
! conditions is contrary TO scientific OBJ
| servation and experiment, but this is
only Il detail Of his theory and does not
materially affect it. NJ Thauzios, after
! giving reasons for rejecting the theory
! Of g special sense and other hypothesis
put forth on the subject, proceeds TO
state tho following facts which he be-
lieves to be firmly established:
First Well trained pigeons, even
| if taken very far away-say several
| hundred miles from the pigeon cot
! get their bearings, in a normal atmos-
| phere, with wonderful promptness
| without turning about in other direc
tons and without rising to great
! height. Before one can count 80 they
have disappeared.
Second. These same pigeons, left
| in open air in their baskets several min
utes before releasing them, while they
are given food and drink, look around
them, walk TO and fro, evidently study
ing the SKY, until, having found out
| Doubtless, what they sought, they re-
maiu quiet Then, II the baskets are
opened, they fly Off low and almost
| horizontally, without zigzags and in a
straight line in the proper direction
Third. The same pigeons, trans
| ported to IA strange regioa-that is, for
| instance, where they must make
southerly Journey when they are accus-
toned to make northerly one, betray
n striking degree of disquietude in their
baskets at the moment of departure
They seem to be surprised and some
what taken abaCk. As soon as they are
free they fly off eastward, making large
ellipses toward the sun Then they ex-
plore in all directions but they always
return to the east with patient teuaci-
ty that seems to signify that there is
! the key of the problem and that there
! alone viii be found its solution, After
several minutes of this, having reached
an altitude of $50 to 200 yards, they
| disappear III the proper direction.
Fourth. The earlier in the morn
ing they are released the moro prompt
is their success III getting their direc-
ton. After noon even in calm weather
and even if the distance is small, their
orientation is dull, slow, wayering and
without viyacity.
Fifth. When tho day comedies
with n change Of the moon, the orienta-
tiun both at the point of departure and
also on tho route becomes difficult, the
birds return slowly and at long inter
walls
Sixth. Finally. even when the sky
seems everywhere clear, If the atmos-
phcre Is undergoing any of those inyisi-
q i,l ,t,I,
/ by the most delicate Instruments Of our
obscryatorics, the pigeons as in the
preceding case, hesitate, lag behind and
sometimes take double the time that
would toe necessary for their journey
under other circumstances.
What must be concluded from these
facts?
The carrier pigeon, % bird eminent
ly electric, and of excessive nervous sus-
CoptibiIity, is also endowed with pro
digluuHv sensitive vision and with spe-
cial Intelligence that cannot be doubted.
The interchangeable excursions that 1t
makes, especially IN the morning, often
to considerable distances around its
cot aud to all points Of the compass,
accustom it TO a great number Of mag
nctc and visual sensations whose va.
rious characteristics II learns TO diStiu
gulsh according TO the region where 10
is and to the hour of the day by what
may be called it's sense Of touch and By
its sight 1t registers, as 1t were, like q
delicate mechanism, impressions as
varied MS they are complex. which, re-.
suluug in the concerted ac,lou of the
organism enable II TO determine IN
given place, at given moment, the di
recuou IN which the dovecot will be
found
This powcrof discarumpnt increases
with the accumulation of hcrcdity 81
what may bo called local instinct
This is why the carrier pigeon Is not
satisfactory unless 1t has behind it am
ancestral limo Of carrier pigeons living
in the same region This is why when
for any cause, the air is disturbed, even
20 q dogree imporcepube to man, the
pigeons element OF Investigation, its
moanSot getting its bearings being dit
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