The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-10-19
THE CARRIER PIGEON
MYSTERY OF THE METHOD BY WHICH
1T FINDS ITS WAY.

the Taking of Bearings and Homeward
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
to its height in the case of the carrier
pigeon, and its would be explainers fall
back on expedients that range all the
way from a mysterious special sense of
"orientation' down to everyday or
dinary observation of landmarks, such
as man uses when he finds his way.
Most authorities are now inclined to
take middle course, and believe that
the pigeon finds it's way by methods
more or less ordinary, but by a very
extraordinarily skilled combination Of
them.
We translate below part Of an article
on the subject, contributed by NJ. A
Thauzies to the Revue Scientifque.
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 detail Of his theory and does not
materially affect it. NJ. Thauzies, after
giving reasons for rejecting the theory
of a special sense and other hypothesis
put forth on the subject, proceeds to
state the following facts which he be-
ieves 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 normal atmos-
phere, with wonderful promptness,
without turning about in other direc-
tions and without rising to a great
height. Before one can count 30 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-
main quiet. Then, if 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 strange region-that is, for
instance, where they must make
southerly journey when they are accus-
toned to make a northerly one, betray
a 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 SUD. Then they ex-
plore in all directions, but they always
return to the east with a patient tenaci-
ty that seems to signify that Shere is
the key of the problem, and that there
alone will be found its solution After
several minutes of this, having reached
an altitude of $50 to 200 yards, they
disappear in the proper direction.
Fourth. earlier in the morn-
ing they are released the more promps
is their success in getting their direc-
tion. After noon, even i'll calm weather,
and even if the distance is small, their
orientation is dull, slow, waverlng and
without viyacity.
'sFifth.-When the day coircides
with change Of the moon, the orienta-
tion both at the point Of departure and
also on the route becomes difficult, the
birds return slowly and at long inter
walls
"Sixth.-Finally, even when the sky
seems everywhere clear, it the atmos-
phere is undergoing any of those lnvlsl'
Bile disturbances that are revealed only
by the most delicate instruments OF our
observatories, the pigeons as in the
preceding case, hesitate, lag behind and
sometimes take double the time that
would be necessary for their journey
under other circumstances.
"What must be concluded from these
facts?
1.-The carrier pigeon, bird eminent
" electric, and Of excessive nervous sus-
ceptibility, is also endowed with pro-
digiousiy sensitive vision and with spe'
cial intelligence that cannot be doubted.
The indefatigable excursions that it
makes, especially in the morning, often
to considerable distances around its
cot, and to all points Of the compass,
accustom it to great number Of mag
netic and visual sensations whose va
rious characteristics it learns to distin-
guish according to the region where 1t
is and to the hour of the day. By what
may be called it's sense of touch and by
its sight it registers, as it were, like a
delicate mechanism, impressions as
varied as they are complex, which, re-
sulting in the concerted action OF the
organism, enable it to determine III
given place, at given moment, the dl'
rection in which the dovecot will be
found.
,.rh;. ~,o,raro of 1iccernment increases