Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-29
PIGEON FLYING.
By FREDERIC J. HASKlN.

H! By FREDERI
] Preparations are now being made oy
| the various clubs which constitute the
National Association of Homing Pigeon
Fanciers for the opening of the pigeon
racing season. The honor of holding the
first event of the year will fall to club
in Chester. Pa, which today releases its
birds at Iandoyer, Md. for one-hun-
dred-mile fight back to Chester. The
eth Of May will see the season In full
blast. for on that day dozens of clubs
will hold their first spring race for old
birds. The fanciers are now engaged IN
dieting their birds and exercising them
with as much care as a horseman pre-
pares his racer for the track The birds
are given practice flights from time to
time. go when a racing seasons opens
they are SO strong of wing and so short
of superhuous flesh that they can ne
gotiate a hundred miles in express-traiD
time.
The usual spring races are for hun
dred miles This distance is gradually
increased as the birds round out in con
dition. until 800 miles is the length OF the
COURSE Frequently tIIlS Is
600. and sometimes even beyond that.
The races in the spring and early sum-
mer are for old birds. In the late sum
mer the young birds are put into the
for recruits. Their flying distances are
gradually Increased until they are in
shape to negotiate 500 miles.
One of the things the pigeon fiers need
is more substantial encouragement in the
way of prizes
Need Encouragement for their big
in Way of Prizes. point out that
for every other kind of sport there are
rewards large enough to stimulate H.
but that pigeon flying. one. OF the most
attractive of all sports. must be con-
tented with few meager prizes. 1T Is
different in England. There. even roy
atty sends the representatives of Its cotes
to tho great English pigeon derby, the
Mates race. The late King Edward ana
Queen Alexandra took deep interest IN
homing pigeons and their entries In the
Mates races were among the pest oifus
contesting. Frequently 100000 worth Oh
birds have been liberated In this race.
There are several thousand devotees OF
the sport In the United States. AND some
one has estimated the number OF trained
pigeons at 100000. There are Zo,Ooo reg
istered with the national association;
Last year one pigeon Red ,, Lacy: ~. own" ahIe
to make q full 500 miles in single day.
and was the only bird accomplishing that
distance on the same day liberated.
The flyers association keeps an omc1al
of distance, and has a secretary, VINO
keeps the records Of the pigeons entering
contests. The association furnishes ON,
cial timing instruments at a nominal
cost and provides methods WHEREBY WHEREBY e. eVt he.
come Official. Sometimes fancier at
tempts to fake a record. but he does not
fare we'll when exposed. Not icng ago
a fancier entered a certain bird In a race
and claimed that it returned at certain
time. Afidav1ts were made showing that
the bird In question had never even
started, which resulted in q loss OF stand
ing Of the man with the association
Certain places are used as llberating
stations. At these points live certain
gentlemen who
Certain Places Used are DESIGNATED as
-, official hberators.
press the pigeons to- them a short while
in advance and the birds are given time
to remove the travel stains and get in
trim for their flight At the appointed
hour they are liberated. They soar into
the air, circle around several times, and
then dart off for home, perhaps more
than 500 miles away, with an aim as
unerring as that Of q crack shot.
Men have marveled at the homing in
stinct Of the homing pigeon. Others OF
the dozens of varieties of pigeons have
no more sense of direction than blind
folded person But the homer carrieo g; d
thousand miles in a dark-~asket, or IN
an express car which changes Its d.
rection many times in the journey. plumbs
the home line unerringly. Does the sense
come by heredity brought about Dy
training of ancestors? Is 1t an instinct that
has belonged to the pigeon from the be-
ginning? These, and innumerable other
questions which might be asked about
the homing instinct have not yet been an
swered satisfactorily by the student OF
natural history.
The pigeon does not need to be able to
fly in order to get home. Not long ago
a Philadelphia wag bet friend VINO was
a pigeon fancier that his pigeon couid
not travel from New York to Philadelphia.
He took the bird, and before turning 1t
loose in New York. clipped one OF Its
wings so that it could not fly. One day
passed, then another. On the third day
the bird reached home. footsore ana
weary. 1t is supposed to have walked all
the way, but it never missed its direction.
An enthusiastic devotee Of the sport OF
pigeon flying is proposing a new feat for
the flying ma
poce Refween chine operator
He says that
Aero and Pigeons. the aviators talk
about beating the birds. but is sanguine 1t
cannot be done in a long distance race
He proposes a hundred-mile race be-
tween any aviator In the world and
team Of homing pigeons, and says he will
lo,, l,is ,ua COR o, tho hnrnerS II is said