RECORD FOR AUSTRALASIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 29 January 1908, Page 36

RECORD FOR AUSTRALASIA.

HOURS. I am indebted to Mr D. G. Strang, iion. ccc. Invercargill Homing Society, for^ the following account of a record fly put up by ope of tfoeir member's birds: — This Old Bird Season has been nothing but a succession' of records j first the Invergargill Club's performance, Wellington to Invercargill flown in the 611© day; then the Wellington , Homing Society's record flights, and still further that of the Dunedin Club. Again the Invercaxgili Homing Society's oirds came to the front, their homers establishing the record long- 1 distance fly -for Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Thie event took place on Monday, January " 13, when Mr Laing of Napier liberated 17 homers", owned by five--members of the local Homing Society,^ at 4.15 a.m. on a calm, beautiful' morning. The weather was exceptionally good down as far ac Dunedin, but between Dunedin and Invercargill the homers met adverse weather. The strong westerly wind played Imvoe among the birds, but still, for all that, , the winner succeeded in adding an- I other record to the credit of the Homing Society, and also to all the New Zea- I landers in the fancy. The gale at the home end ' satisfied" the minds of the members competing in the race that the homers j Would not appear for some days, 'the result } beingvthat- the fanciers were caught napping, the birds having homed before the owners became aware of their arrival. Judging by' the time the first bird arrived, the prgeons must have settled down for a night's rest a considerable^ distan.ee on the homeward, side of Dunedin, which means that the birds must have covered the dis- ! tance from Napier to 'Dunedin _in time that will compare with the Dunedin 'Club,3 record for a one-day fly. It ie when flying a distance which cannot be completed on the first day and the flight has to be continued on the following day that the , homer is severely tried. Especially this is so -when, as in the present case, the birds meet unfavourable weather on the second day. I don't think it is too much to_ say that, given the same weather conditions, our northern friends will find it no small task to lower our record. In computing | the flying time of an extended raoe of i this eort it is assumed that the bird | settles when darkness falls and takeß to wing at the first peep of day. ■ Of course this is' not often the case, as naturally the homer firet searches for food and- water, and then continues homeward. It is seen by this, therefore, that the actual tim© taken in covering the distance is not quite co long as set down. ' When you take this into consideration you will be able to appreciate the performance of Master J. Friend's bird, s.nd also the members wJio were placed- in this race. On Tuesday morning, at about 11.45 am.,^tho winning bird, owmed > by Master J. Friend, was timed in covering 1 the distance of 650 "miles airline in*22i houra. Alfhough the contestant, had to face a very strong wiwd, she appeared to be quite fresh and etill in rood condition. Mr Alan Dunlop's Royal Blue 11. brought honours to the Society lasfc year by completing the Napier-Invarcarpcill fly in 26 hours. This wear's rn,oe has been very successful, for the birds have flown the course in faster time, <hiiß making it all the huder for other pur&on societies to lower the record. I

Rifleite, the winner, was bred by her owner oft' Ballistite and Dell, and has proved herself a worthy perfo-mer. Mr Alan Dunlop and Mr J. Muir cime second and third respectively in this event, and both of the irpmbprs deserve praise for the way their birds have kept in the front right throughcut the long distance races. Mr Dunlop's Yarra is an exceedingly well-built homer, and was timed in only a few minutes after ♦be winner. Mr Muir's bird is bred off Nikola and Nor' wester, a famous strain of Mr J. C. Pope. Mr Pope and T. and R. Havppr secured fourth and fifth places, both birds being 1 bred off famous homers. Master J. Friend deserves congratulations from all the members, and we trust to see the winner apoomplishins the further distances that are to b© flown this year— from Hicks Bay to Invercarsill, a distance of 830 miles. Previous to the Napier-Invercar-Efill fly the longest distance record was claimed by the Be-ndiffo Club (Australia), but their flight (600 miles) has been beaten three times in New Zealand, onoe by the Timaru Club (605 miles), and twice by the Invercargill Club's records (650 miles). Mi D. S\ I/aing liberated the Inveroargill birds at Napier at 4J.5 a.m., and-the Dunedin birds at 4.30 the same morning — weather fine, no wind. The birds had a good passage down .the coast, according to the weather reports, except at Dunedin, where the wind was a strong south-west against the birds, and Mr Tatterefield, the secretary of the Dunedin Club, informed the members that he did not expect any pigeons home that night, and was sur-, prised when he heard Mr Firmepran had four home, arriving together at 7.28 p.m., 14 hours 58min after liberation — distance 554 miles. The following morning was clear, with a ligbTt ~ north-easterly wind _in the birds' favour. Messrs Esquilant, Finnegan, and Gibson had birds in at 7 a.m. Now if, as the Inveroarßill writer states, hie club's birds were on the homeward side of Dunedin when they rested for the night, and had flown a longer distance in the day than the Dunedin birds, the flyinar time allowed according to Stone's Directory is from sunrise to sunset (4.15 a.m. to 7.50 p.m.), and assuming the Inverc&rgill birds were flying until 7.50 p.m., and aguin on the wing the following morning, surely they would not take 6 hours 30min -to fly about 110 miles or less. The. Dunedin bird trapped in one minute, .which proves that the pigeons landed in good condition and wore strong enough to continue for some time. The Inveroargill performance is a very good one, but on the face of the above times I think the Dunedin birds flew a longer distance in -the day than the Invercargill birds."

NAPIER TO INVERCARGILL IN 22i