The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-11
MOUSE SLAIN BY A CANARY.
A FIGHT TO THE DEATH Nv THE
EARLY MORNING HOURS.
The Beliicose Little Songster n Match for !
the Four-Footed Invader. which Had |
DeaiRns on tho Contents of the Seed |

Bottle-MOuse was Game to the Last.
One does not usually associate a canary bird
and the idea Of pugnacty, yet there Is tiny,
feathered biped in this city whose Gagged exist
ence has resulted In two fierce battles. both
waged successfully by him in self-defence and
one ending in the death OF the enemy. a ma
rauding mouse. The bird Is q small one. 3
years old. almost pure yellow in color. and his
owner named him Valentine having acquired
him as Aedgling on st. Valentine day
Valentines cage hangs in a window between
two lace curtains. Several times. on his return
home at night. the birds master saw seed scat
tered on the floor under the cage. and he won
dercd how It got there. At first tho bird was
charged with wastefuness. but he was fully
vindicated couple Of mornings ago.
The man. who is a night worker. had reached
home earlier than usual and sat down to read
Valentine who was stirring for a while, soon
tucked his head under his wing and went
to sleep Presently the reader. whose chair
was within four feet Of the cage. glanced down
at the floor and saw a mouse zig2agRing across
the carpet The destination OF the little Creep
ing thing soon became apparent. Past the feet
Of the man II went. Reaching the lace curtain
which draped one side OF the window, IL quick
y clambered up until II reached that frame Of
the sash on level with the roof OF the cage.
one corner Of which touched the woodwork.
In another second the mouse was on top of the
cage.
All this time the bird was peacefully slum-
berlng on the highest perch furthest from the
seed cup and on the side Of the cage opposite
where the mouse had crawled from the win
dow frame. But the advent OF the mouse was
a dream disturber. and Valentine withdrew his
head from under his wing and opened his eyes.
He didn't seem at all surprised but simply
gared at his visitor. At the first sight Of the
mouse look Of fury came into the little. beady
eyes OF the bird. Once or twice he opened his
hcak. but made no sound as he watched the
progress Of the mouse along the top OF the
cage and down the side into the seed cup.
Then there was tiny shrek OF anger.
a fash Of yellow behind the brass bars.
a couple Of sGueals from the burglar
in the seed cup. tussle punctuated by more
little shrieks and squeals and the mouse rolled
out onto the gravel-covered floor OF the cage.
the bird pecking at 1t viclousy and beating 1t
with his wings The mouse soon regained it's
feet and made rush. apparently for the legs
of the bird which nimbly hoped aside. and
with blow from his bill Knocked his four
footed adversary into n corner. The mouse.
before the bird could follow 1t. made another
rush. and again met that skilfully welded bill
ana nS ~shs sSrk to the foFb bd In heap sGuea
and the shrill voice OF his opponent made
ready echo.
Hardly had the mouse reached the corner
than II was out and going for the birds legs.
Valentine was on the aggressive move, too.
ruffled. Forward shot the keen bill. The
mouse staggered. but didn't stop. and its rush
T @ed the %a S st re lied
cage floor. The shrek Of the feathered war
rtor became q scream, The yellow wings beat
was another scream, from the bird the cage.
shaken blythe struggle playeda an irregular tat
locked in wars brace. rolled over the gravel
until they struck the wires supporting, the
SH 5Sm Shsrs snf shs
afterward showed had had him bv the right
three shrieks and squeals and the mouse ran
straight back to the seed cup, The mouse may
away from the coveted food, there would be no
INTERRUPTION to meal for time at least,
Scarcely rec had the MOUSE reached the seed cup
his bill buried in the fur OF the others back
The persistent r9bber was pucked from its
9er from which It had made its brave rushes,
On this, occasion it .didnt rush. 1t hadn't
claws literally Tanned the nf mousse nse out out t be
tween the wires onto the surrounding plat
form Then began an odd chase S1ueaIing
at every step. the mouse ran along the plat
wires again; But everywhere, the bird met
tried to climb to the top OF the cage. but tho
bin was ever present Several complete cir
Of the s round Of the gR zane The ' mo se
was squealing. the bird was shrieking and the
cage cage was rafting against the window, Sud
Itself up and then sprang directly at the, bird
drawn back and With, wings outstretched
valentine nd head Iurched outward and met the
E wrss mss
thing very much like grunt from the mouse,
end end, as ball flies from q bat. it rebopnded
the two-inch wide platform. and fell to the
floor Of the room, distance Of nearly four feet.
less, afraid to move, but when the mouse struck
the floor and lay quite, still he got up to sec
a aG "f bed had burt was 6e 'h {
With every feather rncd out aud sittns on S tho
standing when he delivered tho Knockout
blow. As the cage was approached he hoped
il ever there was song Of trin nSi H''i il
poured from that canarys throat then, 4
was bleeding and the man turned to the the b us
reau to get bottle of chloroform liniment,
which had been used for healing several mys-
legs and feet Of the singer. But It wasn't yot
time for medicine, Out, from under the bed
and toward the window the mouse was crawl
ing 1t was not moving as briskly as at first.
put paying no attention to the man watching
ed that conyenient ladder to the widow frame" frame.
and from there once more gained the top OF
the cage Meantime the bird had been sing
ing away.
When the mouse reached the window frame,
the bird saw il and the song died away into an
angry chatter, Its every movement watched
by the canary. the mouse sought the side Of the
cage and let itself down on TO, but not into the
seed cup. The enemies inspected each other
for brief space Of time. chattering and SQueal-
ing what were undoubtedly challenges and
hostile declarations. Then the mouse Jumped
into the cage. As II reached the STRAIGHTFORWARD
lloor. the bird was upon it, pecking beating
and scratching at II with bill, wings and claws
The bird had a first mortgage on the round
and he proceeded to foIeclose by rolling his
s1ueang and >trugGl ing opp9ncutto the wires
and through them on to the platform. The end
came soon. Pushed and beaten out OF the
cage. the mouse retreated as far as possible
and rested for probably half a minute Then
il slowly turned toward the wires behind which
the bird was waiting for il. There was a little
rush straight at the watchful guardian. a
Swerve to che side to gain an apparently clear
entrance; quick move on the part Of the bird,
scratching OF gravel. some shrieks and
squehls, and the persistent robher was down
on its side. piniOned by the bird claws to the
worry passageway by which 1t had hopcd TO
iaIl OF the, BIRDS head as he tore the PROSTATE
body OF his foe were az regular as clockwOrk
and It seemed almost minute before the
mouse managed to release itself.
Breaking from the grasp Of the restraining