248 BIRDS 



homing instinct were the only characters which interested 

 the originators of the breed, and these standards still remain 

 among followers of the Homer. 



The instinct which makes the Homer return to its own 

 loft has been and still is the subject of much discussion. 

 The best explanation seems to be that it really is instinct, 

 aided by careful training, and not merely sight and train- 

 ing alone, as supposed by many. The experiments of Prof. 

 John B. Watson * throw much light on the subject. Two 

 Sooty Terns {Sterna fuliginosa) were taken from their 

 nests on Bird Key, Tortugas, to a point at sea, oif Cape 

 Hatteras, and there liberated. This is outside the normal 

 range of the species, and it is reasonable to suppose that 

 neither bird had ever before been in the locality. Both re- 

 turned safely to their nests, the distance of i,o8i miles 

 being covered in five days. 



It thus becomes perfectly evident that the homing instinct 

 is very strong in birds, and that it asserts itself under the 

 most trying circumstances. Domestic pigeons, having been 

 in captivity for centuries, naturally have lost much of this 

 instinct. In the Flying Homer, however, it has been 

 fostered and preserved to a very considerable exlent, al- 

 though probably it is not as well developed as in many wild 

 birds. 



While a young Homer usually will return to its loft from 

 a distance of five or ten miles, or even more, in any direc- 

 tion, for greater distances an elaborate system of training is 

 necessary. This training is begun as soon as the youngsters 

 have become strong on the wing and are well acquainted 

 with the immediate neighborhood. They are then sent in a 

 basket, to a distance of a half-mile or so, and there liberated. 

 This operation is repeated frequently, the length being in- 

 creased to a mile, then five, ten, and so on, up to fifty, with 



♦Carnegie Institution of Washington, Publication No. 103, 1907. 



