The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-04
CURIOUS STORIES OF BIRDS.
Partridge and Railroad Trein-A Spar
row in a thunderstorm


break in the forest along the Air Line rail-
way, in Windham county, performed an
odd trick on an express car that was ex-
Jremely unfortunate for the bird. The 4
O'Clock p. m. express train was trIfle late
coming into Pomfret village and was run
ming at lightning speed when the partridge
essayed to cross over the track in front of
the locomotive. Both the bird and the rush
ing engine were following the legs of an
acute triangle TO its apex on the railroad
line, but the partridge undere5timated the
speed OF the train, which reached the
apex a second in advance. The heavy
bird struck the express car, IN which
Sam Dlkeman, expressman, was sorting
over freight, aud went through window
in tfss side door with the momentum of a
solid shot. So swiftly it sped it cut a clean
circular hole IN the large window pane as
evenly as if the instantaneous job had been
done with a diamond. Splinters of glass
fell in jingling shower the whole length Of
the car, and as Sam Strengthened himself
from his work in dumb amazement the bird
fell dead at his feet, a mass of feathers aud
broken bones. Sam had broiled partridge
for supper that evening, and to save him
self the expense of the broken window ne
made oath before the railroad superintend-
ent that the wild bird, not he was the
author of the mischief.
IT. the memorable thunder-storms last
week, while the whole armament seemed to
be shot through Increasingly with zigzag
lanceS OF lightning, many t1mld little birds
sought refuge from the frightful uproar
wherever a shelter offered itself. On one
dark afternoon the telegraph operators rat
thing away at the keys in the Western
Union office in New Haven, suddenly heard
rustling overhead and, glancing about,
saw sparrow, which, having come in
| through the open window, was swiftly
| skimming about the high-ceiled room.
| Then came a great crash of thunder,
| jarring heavily under the foundations
of the building, and the little bird with
| frightened peep fiuttered down on the
| sounder at w. j. Sheehan'S desk. Mr..
Sheehan picked up the sparrow and held it
in his hand until the fury of the tempest
! had somewhat abated, then took 1t to the
| window and released 1t. But the bird would
| not 90 out into the storm, and, after
| heSitating on the window ledge for an in
slant, returned to the operator, climbing on
his shoulder and nesting against his face.
| Finally he threw the sparrow far out of
doors and hastily shut the window. but it
| came back and pecked at the window panes.
| On the same evening, while a vast au
! dience in Slater Memorial hall in this city
listened to a wild concert, III which the ele-
mental uproar without was strangely COM
mingled with Beethoven selections by he
/
bewildered bat darted in through tall,
painted window, and for half an hour
| flashed back and forth about the hall, now
and then dipping close to the peoples heads.
| SO swift was its flight 1T seemed to be a
| careering shadow-the shade, perhaps. of the
| old composer, for the bird in its fight kept
! time with the music, rising and falling with
| the measures The bat has remained III the
big hall sihce, making its home in a dusky
niche, and it may be impossible to evlct it.
On another evening a big nighthawk flew
into the German Lutheran church in New
Haven while Prof j. Z. Whittecker of
Rochester was lecturing on The Follies
and Foibles of Modern Life" and for fifteen
minutes excitement reigne1. A nIghthawk
| is laundering creature in its flight, and as
the wide winged bird darted back and
forth in the sanctuary in great sweeps and
| circles Just above the audience, is
spotted pinions cleaning specter-like
as it hummed through the air, women
screamed and darted about the pews, and
finally the lecturer had to stop talking for
fifteen minutes. Every one was afraid of the
bird for as it skinned along the gallery
front and shot among the heads Of the peo-
pie, once passing so close to the face of Prof.
| Whittecker it fairly took the words of his
text out of his mouth, it went with the
speed of rocket, aud it seemed it must go
slambang into somebody or something in
its dizzy turns. Once wise man shouted,
Catch that birdW and the profound advice
set the congregation to laughing. Finally
the hawk, in a random dash, accidentally
secuted through a window, and thea the
| lecture went on again,
Still another tempest-tossed bird
robin, flew into the billiard room of the
Arcanum club, in this city, and so great
was its terror of the laundering storm it
showed no fear of the young men in the
| Ill i 4 x,e;lI
| mitted one of the company to capture it.
After the storm had subsidized it was re-
leased and flew away.
At Rockville a rooster and dog have
become fast friends. For a week the bird
had been beset by fierce cock, both being
members of the same flock, and the two
| ROSTERS fought almost constantly not far
from the dogs kennel. Finally, the weaker
bird sick aud friendless, having been COM
pletely knocked out in the ring, fed into
| the dogs kennel to escape its bl odthlrsty
| foe, and, dropping in the straw, made
eloquent signs, as if asking protection ard
shelter. Carlo undoubtedly had watched
the combat between the birds with an in
teligent and sympathetic eye, for not only
| did he permit the wounded rooster to tarrv
| in his house, but when the other bird
attempted to enter the kennel to glut its
fury further, he arose threateningly,
| growled, and Just looked at the vindictve
pursuer once, and that bird evidently made
up its mimi That the time for discretion had
come. He went away sullelly. Since then
the wounded rooster has dwelt with the dog,
and the two inmates of the kennel seem to
be warmly attached to each other. If any
rooster challenges to mortal combat are for
warded to his friend, the dog attend to
them promptly; so the other barnyard
fowls have concluded that it won't do at all
to monkey any more with the rooster that