Page:Bird-lore Vol 01.djvu/331

The Orientation of Birds 103 Let us attend in thout^ht a /-r/rasr of pigeons. Many hundi-eds of birds coming from the Pigeon cotes of the same region are set at libert}' at the same time. The)' set out together, divide for travel- ing in two or three groups, then, as soon as they reach the known horizon, scatter themselves, and each of them flies directly to his own home. A certain number of carriers do not answer to the call, others come home the folloAving days. The "pigeon-flyer" limits himself to registering the loss of some and verifying the tardy home-comers, without trying to penetrate the reason of the fault of instinct. How ri(,EON CARS OF THE FRENCH ARMY could we ask of the bird his secret that a sudden rapid flight con- ceals from us? Instinct is at fault, the bird must wander at random, counting on chance alone to find his way back again. We cannot share such an opinion for the following reasons : The bird astray through fault of instinct is not for that reason in revolt against the general law of preservation which regulates all his actions. On the contrar}', he feels very keenly the call of instinct which incites him to search for his own Pigeon cote. He sees very clearly the end in view, but the means of reaching it are momentarily at fault. He then displays all the activity of which he is capable, and tries many aerial tracks, one after another.