296 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



miles at a stretch. The extraordinary manner in which they 

 will find their way almost incredible distances has suggested 

 all kinds of speculation as to the instinct or sense which 

 guides them. A well known pigeon fancier, interviewed by a 

 writer who published the results of the interview in " Chums " 

 (Cassell & Co.) says, " The popular notion that carrier pigeons 

 are guided by some 'direction sense,' or blind instinct, is 

 quite as absurd as the French belief that they follow certain 

 electrical currents. I have had to do with pigeons for over 

 twenty years," he continued, " and I am open to demonstrate 

 to anyone that in flight they are guided by sight alone. Of 

 course, some pigeons are more sagacious, cleverer than others ; 

 but the fact remains, and everything tends to prove it. For 

 example, no carrier-pigeon can find its way over a strange 

 coimtry: it often gets lost in a fog; and again, until taught 

 by experience, it is often led astray by colours and objects 

 which appear to be familiar. Quite recently, when I was 

 trying some young birds, I had an instance of how easily 

 they may be led astray. Close to my residence is a large 

 red-brick building, which, to an old bird, would prove a good 

 landmark miles away. In this case, however, the birds had 

 not been tried before, although, of course, they had been let 

 loose and had circled roimd the loft for several weeks. I 

 took five birds with me some half-mile distant from home; 

 and, letting them loose separately from the box, was rather 

 surprised to see four out of the five, after circling round, 

 fly ofi" in an entirely opposite direction to that in which they 

 should have gone. I soon solved the mystery, however, for, 

 watching the birds, I saw they were making for another 

 red-brick building, which showed up clearly in the sunlight. 

 Arriving there, each one evidently discovered its mistake, 

 and, after flying back to the starting-point, found their where- 

 abouts, and made for home — not in a straight line, however, 

 for young birds invariably take a crooked, tortuous path, as 

 though feeling their way. If pigeons are let loose on water 



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