26 



HOMING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES OF BIRDS. 



if a bird can make 500 miles in one day why it should not make 1,000 miles in much less 

 than 9 days, but it is supposed that the bird, after his best effort the first day, is exhausted 

 and would look for food, and on account of poor condition, it takes several days before he can 

 resume his journey. I had a bird return home after an absence of 5 years. One year I lost 

 a bird from Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, 500 miles. The next year he happened to come home 

 the very day we were again shipping birds to the same point. I was not very pleased 

 with his performance the year previous and his absence for one year, and therefore shipped 

 him again, feeling that he would surely not be able to return after his long absence and being 

 in very poor condition. You can imagine my surprise when this same fellow was the first 

 bird to reach home, making the distance within 12 hours. 



Hobo, the bird that made the world's record from 1,000 miles, came to me when a young 

 bird, quite sick; where he came from I did not know — he just walked into my loft, and being 

 a good-looking bird I allowed him to remain and nursed him to health. He proved to be the 

 most consistent performer I ever owned. 



We give below a description of the training of the bird Hobo, together 

 with a statement of the flight from Houston to Milwaukee. This note is of 

 interest in view of the fact that it shows the training stages which are usually 

 given a bird before long flights are expected of it: 



A week ago last Wednesday [July 24, 1901] a number of birds owTied by members of the 

 Milwaukee district of National Federated Homing Pigeon Fanciers, were liberated at 

 Houston, Texas, an air-hne distance of 1,000 miles. Up to to-day two birds have arrived, 

 the first to come home being the bird Hobo, owned by A. E. Wiedering, which arrived Satur- 

 day, and the second being from the loft of C. G. Loeber, Little Hen, which arrived j-esterday, 

 making the trip in 14 days 1 hoiu- and 19 minutes. They are the first two Milwaukee birds 

 ever to cover the distance, and the winner. Hobo, did it within but a few hoiu's of the world's 

 record. Several of the descendants of Hobo are flying in the service of The Journal. Hobo 

 is a strongly built blue-checked cock and is now in his prime, being only 4 years old. He 

 will not be flown again, as his owner thinks that he has done his duty. He has always been 

 a reliable homer, but has hardly ever shown any speed in distances less than 600 miles. In 

 1899 he flew one race from Shabbona, 111., at a rate of 50 miles an hour. In 1900 he w^on 

 fourth place in a race from Little Rock, Ark., air line, 617 miles; 33 birds competing. He 

 arrived at S"" 30°" a. m. on the third day after liberation. This year he won second place 

 from the same distance, also making it on the third day; 47 birds competing, but only two 

 making it in the time limit for that distance, which is 3 days. After a week's rest he was 

 shipped with 25 others to Houston, Texas, air-line distance, 1,000 miles. After being in 

 the shipping basket 17 days, the 26 birds were liberated on July 24 at noon, all the birds 

 taking their course immediately. Hobo arrived August 3, at S"" 1.5" a. m., taking 9 days 20 

 hours and 15 minutes to cover the distance. 



Following is his complete record : 



1S9S. 

 9 miles. 

 18 miles. 

 33 miles. 

 4.^ miles. 

 66 miles. 



100 miles, Shabbona. III., to Milwaukee. 

 200 miles. Delavan, 111., to Milwaukee. 

 400 miles, Ironton, Mo., to Milwaukee. 



1899. 



33 miles. 



66 miles. 



100 miles, Sh.ibhoth. 111., to Milwaukee. 

 200 miles, Delavan, II!., to Milwaukee. 

 300 miles. Brighton, III., to Milwaukee. 

 400 miles, Ironton, Mo., to Milwaukee. 



1900. 



33 miles. 



45 miles. 



66 miles. 

 100 miles. 

 200 miles. 

 400 miles. 

 617 miles, Little Rock, Ark., to Milwaukee. 



18 miles. 1901. 



4.5 miles. 

 100 miles. 

 200 miles. 

 300 miles. 

 400 miles. 

 617 miles. 

 1,000 miles, Houston, Texas, to Milwaukee. 



Little Hen is 5 years old and has been in races for the last 4 years, and, although she has 

 never made any phenomenal time, she has always been a rehable homer. This year she 

 homed from a 500-mile station twice, and the amount of experience she has had on the road 

 evidently stood her in good stead in this race, as the passage through the drought-stricken 

 country was a severe one. 



