HISTORICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF HOMING. 27 



Since 1901 Hobo's record has been beaten many times. Many of the birds 

 holding or having held world's records have belonged to lofts in Fort Wayne, 

 Indiana. The fanciers in this city have succeeded in breeding a strain which 

 is unrivaled in the history of homing. It would be interesting to determine 

 whether the location with respect to winds, etc., has anything to do with the 

 records these birds have made. The difference of course may lie wholly in 

 the strain of bird which has been obtained. We give below the letter of 

 Mr. 0. W. Anderson, of that city. It concerns the record of the present 

 world's champion, Bullet D-1872. 



This bird was hatched March 20, 1909, and when about 4| months old began training, 

 flying the training stations of 2, 5, 8, 15, 25, 40, and 75 miles and the young bird races 

 of 100 and 200 miles; this bird being my first one in the 200-mile race. In 1910, as a yearling, 

 she flew the training stations from 2 to 75 miles and on four successive Sundays flew the 

 200, 300, 400, and 500 mile races, arriving from the 500-mile race on second morning and 

 the first three races the same day, being my first bird in all these races. 



In 1911 she flew training stations mentioned before; the 200, 300, and 500 mile races, 

 arriving the same day in 200-mile race and the second day in 300 and 500 mile races, the 

 weather conditions being unfavorable in these last two races. 



In 1912 she flew the training stations and 200, 300, and 500 mile races, arriving the same 

 day from 200 and 300 mile races and fourth day from 500-mile race, but weather was ex- 

 tremely bad for this last race. 



In 1913 she flew the training stations and was first bird to my loft from 200-mile race, 

 arriving on third day at 6 a. m., the weather conditions being very unfavorable on account 

 of a very severe hail storm. She was also my first bird from 500-mile race, being liberated 

 at 4 h 30 m a. m. at Springfield, Missouri, and horned at 3 h 26 m p. m. same day. Three weeks 

 later sent her to Abilene, Texas, 1,010 miles (air-line measure) from here, birds being liber- 

 ated at 4 h 30 m a. m. on July 11, 1913, and this one homed at 4 p. m. on July 12; flying time, 

 1 day 11 hours 30 minutes and 6 seconds. Needless to say, the weather conditions were 

 ideal, a strong wind assisting the bird materially. In this same race a bird belonging to 

 Dr. John Schilling of this city homed at ll h 30 m a. m. the following morning (July 13) and 

 a third bird was received by Mr. F. Nahrwald of this city a half hour later. The birds in 

 this race were liberated by express agent at Abilene, Texas, as per telegram sent Racing Club 

 here on same date, and liberating report bearing names of witnesses on file at office of 

 club here. 



All the above races were in the Old Fort Homing Club of this city and were flown under 

 rules of American Racing Pigeon Union. The best previous record for 1,000 miles was made 

 by a pigeon belonging to Mr. H. Beech of this city in 1912, the time being 2 days 9 hours 

 and some odd minutes, and this record lowered the time made by a bird belonging to Mr. L. 

 Gebfert, of this city, in 1910, this time being 3 days 11 hours and some odd minutes. 



Have not entered my pigeon in any subsequent race, but am saving it for its record's 

 sake, as there is of course a certain risk of loss of birds in any race. 



From these startling records it must not be supposed that very many birds, 

 flying from an average loft, return from 1,000 miles unless they have been 

 previously trained over intermediate distances very completely. A few years 

 ago over 100 homers belonging in Baltimore were released at Key West, 

 Florida. Not one ever returned. All had been trained at least 500 to 700 

 miles from Baltimore in the direction of Key West. 



THE RECORD OF A TYPICAL FLIGHT. 



Thauzies* gives the record in detail of homing pigeons released by him at 

 Geneva when the Sixth International Congress for Psychology was in session. 

 The birds belonged to three cities, Versailles, Gueret, and Gannat; none of 



*Thauzies, A.: Experience d'orientation lointaine, Archives de psychologie, ix, 1910, p. 66. 



