EVER WONDER WHY?
Volume One

I have chosen to identify this bit as "Volume One" because it might just be there will be other pieces I have collected in my correspondence with a special friend of mine who taught biology in Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, for quite a few years. Every once in a while, often when sitting at the dinner table, my wife, Jean, and I will wonder why birds flock the way they do or fly in a circular pattern as they "take off in a flock". We are always grateful I can go to my computer and send off an e-mail to J. Hill Hamon, that retired biology professor, and get his professional opinion. The following data was the answer our friend, J. Hill, sent our way. Even though our religious inclinations and beliefs vary considerably I cannot help but feel there is persistent truth in much of what the consortium of human knowledge has been mined from studying God’s vast and manifold creation. Total agreement between the assorted levels of our society is not always essential, in fact I would rather acknowledge the wisdom in whoever came up with the axiom, "We are all ignorant, just about different things." And another quote: "Since we cannot know all that there is to be known about anything, we ought to know a little about everything." Blaise Pascal

With that, we share what our friend wrote us about birds.

"On the birds, the flocking behavior depends a great deal on the species. Usually in circling, the birds are "choosing" (trying to find) a leader which they can follow. In the case of pigeons, it is more complicated. The family Columbidae, and in fact most of that scientific order, Columbiformes, have minute iron oxide crystals in certain cells of the brain, and can detect the earth's magnetic field, and can orient on it. Amazing!! Homing pigeons are especially adept at this. And guess what, thousands of species, including humans, have similar iron crystals in their brains. We usually "blast" our fragile senses by much stronger signals -- we are very visually oriented, and in fact, when presented a choice of signals, will ignore most vibrations in lieu of following visual ones. We believe our eyes more than we believe our delicate senses. Does this begin to answer your question? The iron oxide crystals act like a magnetic compass and align with the magnetic lines of force of the earth. I'm not surprised at finding such similarity in most living creatures -- we are all related, on a genetic level, containing the same chemicals arranged in the same patterns. Most people don't like to think that they are related to cockroaches or crab lice, but we are! It is a humbling thought, and at the same time a profound philosophical truth. It makes me appreciate my fellow creatures and my little place in nature."

That’s all for now – until we find something else to give some answers to the eternal question: "Ever wonder why?"

THE WORDWRIGHT