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
country: 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 round 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 off 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