THE PIGEON’S HOMING FACULTY

Evening Star, Issue 21005, 20 January 1932, Page 11

THE PIGEON’S HOMING FACULTY

►- — AN UNSOLVED MYSTERY The mystery concerning the homing faculty of the pigeon has never been solved. Many times scientists, after intensive study of their methods and habits, have suggested a theory as to how they work, but after a discussion and its acceptance by the pigeon owner, some bird—just to show, perhaps, how strange they are—does some remarkable thing that completely upsets their calculations (writes “ F.,_" in the Melbourne ‘Ago’). The pigeon has not, furthermore, come into use during the past decade. History shows that during the Trojan war officers were detailed to specially prepare the birds, which received their food at one time in the market place. When each realised the time and place of feeding they were despatched without food to the battle front, where messages that were to be sent back were attached to the bird’s leg and it was released. By the straightest route it reached the feeding point, and the message was noted an' 1 the bird sent back for service. Sc. .0 in those days had not heard of such wonderful things as telephones or wireless, but the pigeon proved an excellent substitute. They were of wonderful service during the Middle ages, when almost every fortress, castle, and convent owned its beautifully-built pigeon lofts. Any owner of a castle or building who wishes to keep in communication with others selected a cpiantity of birds from his own loft, which, after several trials, were sent to the lofts of the other owners, while a quantity of birds from their lofts were sent in return. Whenever communication was desired a message was tied to the leg of the bird and then released, and, no matter how long it had been held in captivity, it rose into the air, quickly gained its bearings, and reached its loft probably twice as fast as any runner or vehicle of those times could have covered the distance. It cannot possibly remember its surroundings, or, even if people suggested that they did, the theory would be upset by tho test made when a pigeon enclosed in a basket was taken from England in an outgoing liner, until in mid-ocean, with nothing visible but a vast expanse of water, the bird was taken on deck and released. Many considered that, like

the seagull, it _would follow the ( _ship, but it flew straight into the air, circled three times, and then set out on a route that confused those watching, until a survey of the ship’s position and compass showed that it had .taken the quickest line for its home loft, and was, furthermore, reported 400 miles distant before dusk.

During the racing season of the Victorian Homing Association recently concluded Those interested have seen some remarkable results. The northwest route has not been flown for eight years, because in that season, wdien the clubs were combined, one of the worst smashes in the history of the association occurred in the race from Yarcowie, S.A., an air line of 475 miles, when, overtaken by storms, the ranks of the competitors were sadly depleted by the time the few remaining reached the city.

Never if possible will birds fly through rain, often preferring to cover twice the distance, and if possible encircle it. Though the season in 1924 ended with a very successful race from Pimba (S.A.), the winner covering the 688 miles in just over twelve hours, owners considered the track far too risky for future races, and consequently arranged the season for 1925 on the north-east route, where owners received excellent returns until the season closed with the championship race from Cunnamulla (Queensland). Of tho 200 competitors liberated only two had been sighted on the day of release, and of the remainder another sixty were received within the next ten days. The liberation conditions are worth noting, for they show the remarkable, almost uncanny, power of the birds. In a long-distance event they are despatched froih Melbourne to reach ahe liberation point on Friday, and being in closed trucks it is impossible for them to take stock of the country over which they must return en route. They are fed and watered by the convoyer, who, on the day appointed fen the release, is astir at dawn, and if he considers the weather suitable ho lets down the traps. Within losec the birds have risen majestically into the air, circled a short time until they discover their surroundings, and then a bunch break away, and, followed by the remainder, dissolve on tho horizon. They never come to earth unless the continuous fighting against the elements makes them fatigued or dusk forces them to the ground. Another of tho amazing things that will never be solved is that when liberated they fly in batches, each of which carries a fair number of birds, which rely on the more experienced to take them home. But within sight of the homo lofts each must fight for itself, and any interested spectator would see a flock hover for a minute over the city and then break in different directions. Then miles high they are able to select from the maze of buildings that confronts them the little loft to which they belong. Another thing that is liable to upset the theory of the scientists is that some time ago, when birds were liberated in a race from Queensland, they were forced down through head winds, and a very small percentage returned It appears that where the birds came to| earth- had been some old copper mines that had not been worked for some time, and the wells near by had become poisoned with acid, from which one sip meant death. Very thirsty they made no investigation, and as a result many were killed before the wiser heads stopped operations. A test was also made to discover why birds would not home in the darkness. One evening a few birds were taken from a metropolitan loft to another not three miles distant and released. They made no endeavour to even pick up the home route, but sheltered behind tho nearest chimney until daybreak, when they took the line and were home in a few minutes.

The further one goes the more intricate becomes the position. The best theory put forward was that by tin editor of the ‘ Pigeon Post,’ England, who said that it was a faculty composed of physical, mental, nervous, and psychic elements, co-ordinated and

correlated for adapting the homing pigeon to tho life it leads, am lor enabling it to make its A\ay home from places more or less remote.