HOMING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2884, 30 June 1909, Page 57

HOMING NOTES.

j Br Matjsta. Mealy. i The entries of working -Homers were flange and representative at the Paramatta . show ir New South Waks. Mr J. Maude . was the judge, and he states the birds took some separating. ' , "Homer" writes in the Sunday Sun: — "As tha owner of a, loft of genuine racing pigeons I beg to- contradict the -remarks made by J. Maude on the flying Homers shown at the Western Suburbs show. Mr Maud© stated they were the worst- lot for quality he had seen this year, and from an exhibition point of view Mr Maude replies they certainly were; for according to the standard laid down by the' English Genuine Flying Homer Club for show birds • there were not more than six or eight birds -penned at the Western Suburbs show that in any way corresponded wifrh it. The late Mr George Ure, in his 'book of pigeons, says of tne working or flying homer pigeon : — "They are commonlooking birds, worth eighteexupence each, and fly like mad,' and althou<rh ha would not go so far as to say that the mhjorit/ of the birds penned at Ashfield were not birds that have not dene, or are capable of, 'homing lang - distances, still he asserts T>i*»T thisy cao Lajr -no claim to bs Glasssd as show working. homers. He (Mr Mauds)has followed many of * the best flying homey judges in England: and claims to be second to -no man in Australia ' on ■the points of a show pen worjeing homer. As to any man picking the fastest or best, flying homer from the appearance of the bird, it is like, picking racehorses. At, the "jam© time, there is ' a standard of points- laid 'down for judging homers, just the same as there is for blood horses and greyhounds, and, generally speaking, the birdi that comes nearest the standard, of ■- perfection will prove to be the best flier. But, as in horses, there are gt'aftsrs, a<wd in dogs there are ' coomassies, co there are skimmers and weeds that win homing races ; but they should be kept in their proper place, and that is not a show pen. The bird for the show pen should have an erect, alert, bold appearance, short legs, " not too 'shallow or deep in keel, and not too long in keel, good broad head, not dippy in face 'or pinched behind "the wattle, compact body, .hard conditioned, feathers silky and olose v colour -immaterial. The bind should taper off and slip through your hands, weight all in front. A bird with heavy wattle or eye care should not be shown."

I had the pleasure of seeing and handling some of the winners at the last Dunedin show, and Mr Clark's awards •answered the type of Mr Maude's, co the Dunedin Fanciers' Club' were fortunate in having for the -homing fanciers an up-to-date judge. How dees it happen that a pigeon very well trained the previous year should »gain require to b& several times sent to be put into form? How is it to be explained* that on-s loses old pigeons sent from 50 miles to 75 miles, who, the preceding year, flew in races from 300 to 400 miles? It is because memory, which is the prime agent of instinct, having been lulled to sleep during eight months, ha* need of being aroused. No matter liow perfect a machine may be A if $ has not

been recently in use it will ba necessary to make it revolve for some little time before it recovers its force .and springMemory, a coadjutor of instinct, is a marvellous faculty, 'which is only kept in full vigour by continual exercise. When we were at echc-01, and it was necessary for us to repeat -each morning the lessons, we had learned at home_, our memory, continually exc-rcisod, permitted us to do wonders in that respect. Ten years later w© could not fix in our minds a few lin-ss. Memory in our jouth daily exevcised had b&ccme a faithful ally, and had grown to the maximum. It is why we . incite our*young- pigeons fc> exercise themselves well. From 60 to 70 years we can more easily ' r&ssll t-h© incidents of our youth t-ha-n the ev-s-nts of our ripyr years. The first iinpra?sion« we receive are the last to fade a-v/ay, and many old -people can *only remember the things .which -happened in their infancy. Memory, which rests dormant, 10533 its acuteness. That is the reason- why ws must revive it in the brain of our pigeons. After many -months of inertia, ono should' take up the interrupted work* and bring, the subjects -up to form progressively. Indiee4. we should not aci other wise, \as in v doing' this' we are following the wise eouikel ~of experience The first trainings should' ha prudently executed; all wilJ be i well if - they aro "successful. Once the pigeon has "flown 200' miks he .will . triumph, with all the distances. Memory 'awakens elowly. It ,ehould not - be' forgotten, .a'nd.'wiien oils lose* birds .of value ■ v a£ short -distances*' it is often because one has not taken'sufficient precaution. . -^. A carrier pigeon bearing . the number 996, season 1908-9, had the - misfortune to ■drop info a barrel of water in the- vicin : ty of White Craigs recently, and the finder took the ring ba&rinpr the number to the North Otago Times Office. -