Homing Flights and Orientation of Pigeons

IN an earlier paper (Hitchcock, 1952) an account was given of the behavior of flocks of pigeons on homing flights as seen from an airplane. The present account deals with subsequent aerial observation of pigeons homing as singletons as well as in flocks, and with the initial orientation of the birds as observed from the ground. The investigations were made possible through the continued support of the American Philosophical Society, which is gratefully acknowledged. The Army Signal Corps through Mr. Otto Meyer, chief of the Pigeon Breeding and Training Center at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, provided some of the birds and rendered other valuable assistance. The airplane flights were all piloted by Mr.