HOMING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 53

HOMING NOTES.

(Bt Mausta Mealy.)

The Dnnedin Homing Pig-eon Club held its Derby Race on the stb inst. from St. Andrews, -» distance of about 102 miles air line. Thirty.-eight birds competed, representing 15 lofts. The birds had the

misfortune to got a bad day, having to face a head wind and a considerable amount of fog. Nevertheless, the velocities were very good, especially for young birds. The pigeons were liberated at intervals of

five minutes by slr Bush, stationmaster The following was theres\ilt:— MrHolmes'a First Pet, 2hr 404min, velocity 1127 yds pa, minute, 1; M. Carruthers'? Sky Pilot, 2k 42min, 1111 yds, 2; J. Coxs Dr Mac 2hr 42£min. 1098 yds: C, Abernethy, 2hr 42£min, 1087 yds; H. Short, 2hr 44£min 1078 yds; !. D. Gibson. 2hr ♦oN&min 1059 yds; G. Drydpn, 2hr 47imin, 1056 yds > A. Stone, 2hr 55min, 1040 yd?; J. C. Short. 2hr 51miu, 1038 yds; M. Talboys, 2hr 51imin, 1017 yds; W. Esquilant, 2hr 59min, 996 yds; W. Tattersfield, 3hr 2min, 972 yds; J. Keen, E. J. Reeves. H Niven. Th«i winner. First Pet. is= a most consistent young bird. She was second Maheno, an«'< , second Glonavy. She is by Strathavon an<r Shirley, bred by her owner The j/arentii are from Fred Wilson's (Christchurch) imi ported Scotch birds. * Sky Pilot was htetSi by his owner from. Uncle Sam and Sun.--beam. Dr Mac is from Dr MacdonakPi:' strain, by Wait-a-bit and Miss Short Hi!> . sire was a first-class performer for Dug? J Paterson, the model yacht champion A Novice Race was Sown last Saturday,' from Studbolrae Junction, distance 87 • miles air line, for a.ll members who had never won a race. Only five members) ' competed, the result being as follows : -^. . Mr J. Keen's bird flew the distance in 2hr 20min. velocity 937 yds 1; J. Cox. 2hir 23min, 930 yds, 2; C. Abernethy, 2hr 30min, 915 yds, 3; H. Xiven. 2hr 344min, 905 yds, 4: A. Stone, 2hr 41min, 900 yds. 5. Mr Walter Tattersfieid has presented a trophy for a flock race from Timaru, open to all aged birds, to take olace on June 16.The annual Show Race for prizes pr» sented by the Dunedin Fanejejrs' Club, is set down from Ashburton on June 30. birds to be liberated all together. From a roughcalculation 140 birds are expected to compete.

The Naseby Show Race, under similar conditions to tho.so of last yeai— that is. all pigeons to bo exhibited at the show on the Friday and liberated on the following afternoon, uncV. lho supervision of Mr H. W. Hilton.— is to be flown on July 7.

From this it -will be s«.en ti.at U;o Dunedin fanciers have their hands full, and may the best bird win on each occasion.

The many friends in New Zealand cf Mr ' F G. Edmondson will be pleased to hear that he has at last managed to sett'e down , and will again be able +o take an activ* part in the' fancy. His people have re-, moved " to 16 Berkley <trcet. Glenfcrrie. ' Melbourn-3. where Mr, Edmoudson ha» erected new and. KD-to.-datc lofts. He will have upwards of 50 birds to start with. - bred from hfc old champion and the cream . of Mr Fisher's importations from Toft, Thoroughgood, and J. L. Baker. These - birds were purchased by Mr Bdmondsoa at a big figure, and one L? glad to know they fell into such Rood hands OM champion Successful is etil! afive and well, and, despite his great age. is able to breed. He is the only direct descendant' of Red Aberdeen ever brought to the colonies, and would be of ijreat value if shipped bade to England, where ihe progeny o£ Red Aberdeen are nearly all extinct.

Mr B. J. Finnegan returned last Satur day from Winton. where he . spent four weeks' holiday with his brother. He met ' ' an old Dnnedin fancier in Invcrcargill. Mr J. H. Black, who <tiK has his' picreons which he took from Dunedin. Mr Black still retains an interest in the Dunedin Club.

One of the oldest homers (sa-ye the New York Herald) is a bird which makes its home around the railway station at Liege, in Belgium. Th*> re is^ a train from Liege to Wawmme. which starts every morning at 10 o'clock. As ccon a? the train pulls into the station tl-<> bird commences to circle in the aii, and as soon as headway is gained follows the train to its destina. tion. returning immediately home, whero it flies about the station for ihe re3t of the day. It pays no attention to any" other of the tip ins and no one is able to offer an explanation a? to why this particular train should be favoured

Homing pigeons are the cra?e in England just now, and on one Saturday lastsummer between 200.000 and 300.000* birds were released in various competitions. A number of th.<?«e were raced to London from Retford and Branston. The distances are 127 and 113 mites respectively, but no birds of the several thousands released made the trip ir the traditional mile a minute, although every circumstance of wind and weather w&° favourable to recordbreaking. Much hotter time was made in a contest from Templecombe to London, in which one bird made thp 103 miles in 94 minut^. an average of 69 miles an . hour, and "nior<» than 100 exceeded a speed of 60 liles an hour.