HOMING BIRDS. 97 



In a letter subsequently published, Mr. Galloway writes the following sensible 

 remarks on the subject, which are valuable as coming from a person who is 

 practically acquainted with the subject on which he is writing : — 



" Instinct being a primary condition, an unalterable law, uncertainty, hesita- 

 tion, or mistakes can form no part of a perfect and unimprovable endowment. 

 Instinct is intended as a ready substitute for reason, practice, or experience. The 

 building of a bird's nest is an instinctive operation ; the first built is no less 

 perfect than the last. The young of the Carnivora are directed by instinct 

 at once to their natural food ; and had they to wait the slow teaching of 

 experience, they must inevitably perish. These are the natural operations 

 of instinct, and are, consequently, independent of all teaching, training, or 

 instruction. 



" How then, can it be supposed that pigeons will fly hundreds of miles and 

 return home solely under the guidance of instinct ? How can fogs, snow, or 

 mountains effect an unerring faculty ? and unless it be unerring it is not 

 instinct. 



" It is by no means necessary that pigeons flying by sight should form ' private 

 charts ' of a country to find their way home ; it is evident they must require points 

 of observation, or why train them by degrees ? Did they possess either ' a natural 

 affinity, or attraction,' why should not the whole number flown be operated on in 

 a similar manner *? So this process of affinity or attraction will not work, or all 

 should arrive at the same destination. Those persons having most practical expe- 

 rience are tolerably well in agreement on the subject, and the visions of theorists 

 will not alter their practice ; knowing they can depend on nothing but sight and a 

 good breed of birds with strong home attachment, they steadily pursue the plan 

 pointed out by Belgian amateurs, and never expect success without offering their 

 birds frequent views of the country, with the necessary accompaniment, a clear 

 atmosphere. By pursuing this method, they do not expect them either to feel 

 their way or be drawn by attraction, but simply hope they may be enabled to 

 see it. 



" Is there one advocate of the theory of flight by instinct who will venture to 

 send his birds eighty miles from home without previous training ? This would 

 test his theory, though those who believe solely in sight know well beforehand 

 the certain result of the proposed experiment." 



The editor's experience of the habits and management of these Homing birds 

 dates from a distant day, and as a description of the modes of racing prevalent 

 some thirty years since, among a certain class of the London fanciers, may not be 

 without interest, he inserts the following account of his first pigeon race, which 

 was originally published in " The Savage Club Papers," returning his thanks to 

 Messrs. Tinsley for their permission to reproduce the article and the illustration 

 by which it was accompanied. 



K 



