The Orientation of Birds 



103 



Let us attend in thout^ht a /-r/rasr of pigeons. Many hundi-eds of 

 birds coming from the Pigeon cotes of the same region are set at 

 libert}' at the same time. The)' set out together, divide for travel- 

 ing in two or three groups, then, as soon as they reach the known 

 horizon, scatter themselves, and each of them flies directly to his 

 own home. 



A certain number of carriers do not answer to the call, others 

 come home the folloAving days. The "pigeon-flyer" limits himself 

 to registering the loss of some and verifying the tardy home-comers, 

 without trying to penetrate the reason of the fault of instinct. How 



ri(,EON CARS OF THE FRENCH ARMY 



could we ask of the bird his secret that a sudden rapid flight con- 

 ceals from us? Instinct is at fault, the bird must wander at random, 

 counting on chance alone to find his way back again. 



We cannot share such an opinion for the following reasons : 

 The bird astray through fault of instinct is not for that reason in 

 revolt against the general law of preservation which regulates all his 

 actions. On the contrar}', he feels very keenly the call of instinct 

 which incites him to search for his own Pigeon cote. 



He sees very clearly the end in view, but the means of reaching 

 it are momentarily at fault. He then displays all the activity of 

 which he is capable, and tries many aerial tracks, one after another. 



