HOMING BIEDS. 85 



then, and then only, darts off on its homeward flight. Throw the same bird 

 again, in the same locality, and if a good intelligent bird there is no wheeling 

 round, but, the road being known, he is off instantly. 



" I know I shall be met by the fact that no bird can see two hundred miles, to say 

 nothing of five hundred. In that I perfectly agree ; but no bird will return home 

 two hundred miles, or even one hundred, without he has been trained by stages on 

 the road. Few persons have any idea of the extent of vision from an elevated 

 point of view. Mr. Glaisher stated some time since that at half a mile elevation 

 in his balloon he saw the whole course of the Thames, from the Nore to Richmond, 

 in one view. And I may remark that as the earth's surface on a dead level curves 

 eight inches in a mile, and as the curve increases as the square of the distance, 

 it is very easy to calculate the range of vision from any altitude. Thus, at a 

 height of a little above four hundred feet, the extent of vision, even if the surface 

 were a perfect level, as that of the sea, would be twenty-five miles on every side. 

 But in every land view there are prominent objects that can be seen at much 

 greater distances ; and no one who has ever flown his pigeons but must have 

 observed them looking on all sides, turning the head as they wheel round and 

 round, until they discern some familiar object. In all questions that do not offer 

 a ready solution there is a disposition to refer the effect to some mysterious agency 

 beyond human ken. It is much easier to cut short the question of the homing 

 faculty of pigeons, and call it instinct, than to investigate the facts of the 

 phenomena." 



In addition to the Smerles or Liege birds other varieties are extensively 

 employed in Belgium, so that the flying pigeons of that country may be 

 regarded as a very mixed breed. M. Andre Coopers, Secretary of one of the 

 Belgian societies, gives the date of origin of the Pigeon Voyageur of Belgium as 

 about fifty years since, and attributes it to the crossing of the Cumulet of Antwerp 

 with the Smerle of Liege. The Cumulet he describes as being of Flemish origin, 

 with white eyes, and as having the habit of flying so high as to be lost to sight 

 for several hours. 



The Smerle he states to be of Walloon origin, and having the same dimensions 

 as the Cumulet, only a little shorter, but with a short beak, and having several 

 recurved feathers on the throat. In flight he states that it neither rises so high 

 nor flies so long as the Cumulet, but that it is more rapid. Several years after 

 the date above mentioned, pigeons were brought to Belgium from England ; these 

 were distinguished by their beauty, extreme strength, and large eyes with a white 

 flesh around the eyes and beak. In Belgium, these were called Bee- Anglais, a 

 name they still retain in that country. They are evidently the birds known in 

 England as Dragons. By judicious crossing of these three varieties, writes 

 M. A. Coopers, products were obtained which were stronger and better organized 

 than the typical races, and the present Homing bird was thus formed. 



This cross was first earned out at Antwerp and Brussels. At Liege and Namur, 

 far several years preference was given to the pure races. But it was not until 



