Evening star., 1936-05-24
Continued From Page ~

in this instance honors were about
even.
Speaking Of radio, here's a peculiar
situation, Mr.. Buscall says: Radio
beams interfere with the sense of
direction of carrier pigeons, according
to an experiment recently conducted
in Nantes, France.
1t had been noticed by amateur
fanciers that homing pigeons expert
ence difficulty during electrical and
magnetic storms. 1t was decided to
observe the effect Of radio waves on
the birds. Groups Of pigeons were
freed close to the big Navy radio sta
ton, which was continuously broad
casting on a 9,000-meter wave. The
pigeons showed signs of bewilderment.
Some veteran homing birds took as
long as three minutes to find their
direction.
According to Mr.. Buscall, pigeons
find and fly their course much in the
manner of human pilots, but how
they do so no one knows.
The term, "homing instinct" is mis-
leading, says Mr.. Buscall. vino is a
world authority on pigeon raising
and training. There is more than
instinct to 1t. Let's call it naviga ton.
Pilots have gadgets that tell them
where they are going. 1t is not far
fetched to say that pigeons have
instrument boards In their heads.
They do not fly a blind, straight
course. They navigate. Carrier
pigeons swing left or right to 60
around storms, just as any good flyer
will do, and then pick up their course
again.
What Divine ability enables them
to reach their goal with such amazing
accuracy? I don't know No one
does. 1t may have something to do
with their ears. 1t is curious fact
that If YOU stuff their ears they can't
fly"
CARRIER pigeons have q great
deal of courage and intelligence.
They can outspeed hawks and cover
considerable distances. The longest
hop ever made in the United States
by these feathered messengers was
the 2,150-mile distance, as the dove
flies, between Maine and Texas, and
at an average rate of TOO miles a day.
This. by day-hying pigeons only.
How are the "homers" trained?
In very simple, but ingenious, fashion
Mr.. Buscall explains. Instruction
starts when the birds are 1S days
old. Each day some of them are
taken a certain distance from their
loft, released. and allowed to fly home.
Little by little the flying distance is
increased until within a few weeks
they can fly mile.
More specifically, first Of all the
1edgling birds, or "squeakers," are
let out of their loft and allowed to
sit on the landing board to get the
feel" of their surroundings. During
the next few days they are allowed
to fly little by little, until at last they
achieve the desired distances, which
may be S, 10 or Is miles, according
to their natural ability.
Their speed at maturity ranges
from so to SIS miles an hour, depend
ing on weather and wind conditions.
In the new, improved message bag
the courageous little pilots can carry
up to three ounces of mail" This
type Of bag Is a stream lined breast
harness which, unlike the old-time
capsule tied to the leg, offers very
little wind resistance
The training of Army pigeons has
advanced at q great pace since the
World War. In 1918 it took from IA
to 20 days to establish" birds at new
homing lofts. Today birds can be
changed from one place to another
and home" to their new residences
in two to three days.
r AGING pigeons, then occasionally
referred to as 'antwerps," were
introduced into the United States
about 1874, by q few Belgian lace
workers, living in and around Phila-
delphia, who undertook the training
and racing Of these birds purely as q
poor mans sport. Their efforts met
with immediate success, and the sport
of pigeon racing spread to nearby
communities and began to acquire a
certain popularity.
On November 8, 1881, a group OF
sportsmen met in Philadelphia and
organized the first racing association,
uniting the fanciers of New York, Bos-
ton and Philadelphia in a competitive
combine. In 1894 similar combine
was formed In Chicago, and in 1910
the American Union was organized in
Detroit. The pioneer Philadelphia
combine grew into the present Inter-
national Federation, with which the
present American Union and National
Association are affiliated through the
joint executive committee of five.
From q purely local sport, pigeon
racing has grown to national and in
ternational proportions. There are
afiiliated with the Amateur Racing
Pigeon Union over 900 local racing
clubs, which contain no less than TOO
individual fanciers. While 1t Is i'm
possible, on account of the lack of q
uniform system Of registration, to es-
innate accurately the total number
Of racing birds In this country, it Is q
conservative statement that the num-
ber considerably exceeds 100000.
Racing birds are extensively used
both for sport and communication by
civilian fanciers. The War Depart
ment exercises no control over civilian
lofts, but maintains the most cordial