THE HOMING INSTINCT. 129 



minute they started off in the direction of their former home (during winters), which was 

 about 5 blocks away. They did not return, but went off for good, not even coming back 

 to the young. The next day I found the male sitting contentedly on the barn of a neighbor, 

 close to our (former) back yard, where he formerly had his pen. The pens had all been 

 removed, so he had only the buildings with which to locate his home. I did not see his 

 mate, but think she may have been near by. This pair had then been away from their old 

 winter home for fully 1 year and 7 months. Nevertheless they (or he) still knew his home, 

 after all the dove-cotes and pens had been removed. This is a decided proof of memory 

 of home and its environment. This homer is at least 6 years old, possibly 7 years. 



On Jan. 14, 1902, I took two cages to our former home. In one of these cages was a 

 female homer; in the other I placed a dish of seed. The cages were placed in the back yard, 

 and the escaped male soon came down and went into the open cage for the seed, and was 

 easily captured and returned. There is no mistake about identity; the bird could be 

 recognized among a hundred, by his size, shape, and evident age, as well as by his behavior. 

 When returned to his deserted cot he felt at once at home and began to coo. This male 

 was placed in the same cot from which it had flown away, and shut in. 



Five days later this male homer was placed with a young female homer (hatched in 

 1901) that was ready to mate. The mating was immediate, and two eggs were laid on 

 Feb. 6 and 8. On Feb. 10, at noon, when the male was sitting, I opened the cot. The female 

 had never been free and she came out only very cautiously, first stretching out the neck and 

 putting her head out just enough to see the other birds flying about. Finally, she came 

 out trembling, and stepping as if possessed with fear. She saw other doves above her on 

 the stands, and soon ventured to fly up to one of the stands. She did not once look back 

 into her own hole before she left her stand, so she is not likely to recognize it easily. She is 

 now (l h 40 m p.m.) on the roof of the barn, and has taken no flight. At 3 p.m. she found 

 her way to her own stand and her mate came out, and then she followed him in. She took 

 the nest and he came out again. The male went out and in three times within 2 minutes. 

 The fourth time he flew to another stand, went in and fought with its inmates, claiming 

 it as his own, until I drove him out. He flew to the roof of the barn, to the top of the court, 

 to the top of the pens beneath his stand, walked about, and took one short circle around 

 the barn and pens. His behavior is quite different from what it was when let out with his 

 former mate. Now he has a new mate, a new cot, and a new nest of eggs, and he is wholly 

 intent in caring for them, having no desire to fly away. At 3 h 30 m , seeking for his cot, he 

 flew to a stand above him and rushed in the hole as if it were his own, and battled with the 

 owners until I parted them and put him back in his own cot, where he remained without 

 coming out. The two cots are exactly alike, so that it is not strange that he made the 

 mistake of claiming the wrong place. He remained in the rest of the day, not coming out. 

 At this season of the year all the dove-cote pigeons return to the cot by 4 p.m., or even 

 earlier if they are not hungry or thirsty. 



On the second day (Feb. 11) both birds were out and in their cot and perfectly contented. 

 The male tried once during the morning to take possession of the cot above him, and had 

 to be taken out and replaced in his own place. Since then he hj^ remained at home. 



(2) A second pair of homers were hatched on Apr. 26 and Mar. 26, 1900, at our former 

 home. They are the offspring of the pair whose conduct has already been described. They 

 were placed in a cot in the barn (Jan. 6, 1902), and here laid an egg on Jan. 13. Just 

 before the second egg was expected, on the 15th at about 12 h 30 m p. m., I opened the door 

 of the cot. Both birds soon came out on the stand and looked cautiously about; soon the 

 male flew down to the roof of the pens, about 4 feet below, and the female soon followed, 

 flying heavily, as birds do when carrying an egg soon to be laid. The birds then soon flew 

 up to the roof of the barn, and after running about as if to find their nest but shyly, as 

 if realizing that they were not on familiar ground they flew off, the female behind the male, 

 across the street to the house on the south. The male soon started back with the female 



