The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-20
now CARRIER PIGEONS TRAVEL
by Ordinary Methods ExtraOrdinnri-
~ sISiIfulIy Combined. Says EN-
From the Literary Digest.

perts.
From the Literary Digest.
The faculty possessed by many animals
for finding their way home through an
unknown region has always been more or
less of mystery. 1t rises to it's hight
in the case of carrier pigeon, and its
would-be explainers fan back on expedi-
. ents that range all the way from mys-
FERROUS special sense of "orientaton" down
TO everyday ordinary observation of land
marks. such as man uses when he finds
his way. Most authorities are now In
clined to take middle course and believe
that the pigeon finds its way by methods
more Or less ordinary, but by a very eX-
traordinarily skilled combination of them.
We translate below part OF an article
on the subject contributed by M a.
Thauzies to the Revue Scientitique, Paris,
March g. The authors assumption that
the animal organism Is sensitive to mag
netc conditions is contrary to scientific
observation and experiment, but this as
only a detail of his theory and does not
materially affect Il. M. Thauzies after
giving reasons for rejecting the theory OF
special sense, and other hypothesis put
forth on the subject, proceeds 10 state
the following facts, which he believes to
be firmly established
a. Wel-trained pigeons, even II taken
very far away-say several hundred mics
from the pigeon cote-get their bearings
in a normal atmosphere with wonderful
Dromptness, without turning about III
other directions without rising to a great
hight Before one can count htty they
have disappeared.
20 These same pigeons, left In open air
In their baskets several minutes before
releasing them, while they are given 1000
and drink, look around them, walk TO ana
fro evidently studying the sky, UNTIL haV-
ing found out, doubtless, what they
sought. they remain quiet Then, IL the
baskets are opened they fly off low ana
almost horizontally, without zigzags and
in a straight line In the proper direction.
49, The same pigeons, transported 10
strange region, that Is, for instance
where thew must make a southerly jour
new when they are accustomed to make
| a northerly one, betray striking degree
of disduietude in their baskets at the mo-
ment of departure they seem TO pc sur
prised and some what taken aback. As
soon as they are free they fly off eastward
making large ellipses toward the sun;
| then they explore in all directions, but
| thew always return to the east with a
! patient tenacty that seems TO signify that
| there is the key TO the problem ANA that
| there alone will be found its SOLUTION. Al
ter sevral minutes OF this, having reach
appear in the proper direction
a. The earlier In the morning they are
! released the more prompt is their success
| in getting their direction. After noon,
| even IN calm weather and even II the dis
1 lance is small, their orientation Is dull,
! slow, wavering, and without vivacity.
"5 When the day comedies with
! change Of the moon, the orientation, both
! at the point Of departure and also on the
route, becomes dfficult; the birds return
| slowly and at long intervals.
49, Finally, even when the sky seems
everywhere very clear. If the atmosphere
| is undergoing any of those disturbances
that are revea ed only by the most deli
cate Instruments Of our observatories, the
pigeons as m the preceding case, hesitate,
! lag behind, and some times take double
The time that would be necessary for their
tourney under other circumstances.
what must be concluded from these
/ facts?"
THE carrier pigeon Is a bird eminet1tly
electric and of excessive susceptibility, is
also endowed with prodigouSly sensitive
vision and with special intelligence that
cannot be doubted. The interchangeable eX-
cursions that IL makes, especially around
its cote and TO all points Of The compass,
accustom 1t to a great number of magnetic
and visual sensations whose various char
actcrlstics Il learns TO distinguish accord
ing 10 the region where IL Is and 10 the
hour of the day. BY what may be called
its sense Of touch and by It's sight IL reg
isters as 1t were. like a delicate mechan-
ism, Impressions as varied as they are
complex, which, resulting in the concert
ed action of the organism, enable 1t TO de-
termine in a given place, az given mo-
ment, the direction in which the dove cote
! will be found.
This power of discernment increases
with the accumulation Of heredity of what
may be called local Instinct This is why
the carrier pigeon IS not satisfactory un-
less Il has behind it an ancestral line OF
carrier pigeons living in the same region.
This is why, when for any cause ihe air is
! disturbed even 70 a degree imperccptble
TO man, the pigeons element of investiga-
ton. It's means Of getting it's bearings be-
ing different and insufficient, Il looks
about, hesitates, gets its direction with
difficulty and sometimes even is lost.
at gets its direction best IN the morn
ing, because it prefers TO fly IN the morn
| ing, and because the atmospheric notions
that IL gets from this habit are clearer
| more distinct, and more numerous. II
| gets its bearings without effort IN famil-
! lar direction. because it then experiences
even before leaving the basket the norma
sensations that have previously guided
At toward a definite part Of the horizon. II