Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-15
SPARROW LOST HIS FIGHT.
Killed by the Flying Fish When Both
Went After tine Same bug.

AAAAASu ~ thc lying F1Sh -" men Both
| Went After tine Same Bug.
| From the New York Sum-
There was a strange and fascinating bat
| tie between a flying fish and a cock spar
| row off the fishing pier at Ocean Grove
| last evening. The novel fight was wit
messed by Assistant City Clerk H. B. Sal
| ter and several other well-known politi-
clans Of Trenton, who We're angling off the
pier, and they describe it wildly. The bat
| tie was short and fierce, and resulted in
the death OF sparrow, whose strange
abode on the pier and whose friendly rela-
tons with the fishermen had afforded the
| Idle cottagers of the Grove considerable
food for discussion during the season.
All summer frequenters of the fishing
pier have watched with interest pair of
the deSpISed English SparroWS VINO appar
entity had a fascination for the rolling roll
| licking ocean. The pier extends probably
| $50 feet into the ocean and is built upon
piling: me seething. dashing, rolling
waves of the ocean splash increasingly
against the pier, very often the water be-
| ing forced between the boards, wetting the
| feet of the patient fishermen. But moi
| withStanding this the SparroWS early this
| spring built their nest beneath the floor of
| the pier in nook at the top of one Of the
| pieces of piling. During the day the cock
| sparrow would leave the nest and, hopping
about the baskets of the cottager fisher
men, would help himself to piece of what
| ever was being used for bait and disappear
beneath the pier. To the regulars" on
the pier he became a steady caller.
Every morning at O'Clock the cock spar
row would present himself to the first
angler to appear, and he would hop upon
the bait basket as If he had a mortgage
upon it's contents. After eating his fill the
cock sparrow would disappear with food
for his mate and little ones beneath the
pier. The sparrows became known to the
cOttagers who frequented the pier, and so
friendly did the birds become thew would
accept food from the hands of the children.
On more than one occasion the sparrows
were driven from their nest by the rolling
waves, and on particularly stormy days the
birds would spend the day under one of
the benches on the pier, between the fish
ermen's feet, but they never. apparently.
ventured in as far as land.
Early yesterday evening the cock sparrow
was fitting about as usual, while the an
giers were busy batting their hooks Sud
denly bug went buzzing by. across the
breakers. The cock sparrow darted after
the bug. Just as the sparrow darted from
the pier robin, or flying fish, jumped
from the water and went sailing through
the air. evidently bent upon capturing the
same morsel of food the sparrow had deter
mined upon-the bug. Like a flash the cock
sparrow changed his course and went for
the flying fish, At the attack the fish
turned several somersaults in the air and
suddenly seized the sparrow. Then the fish
darted toward the water with the bird.
For the moment the onlookers expected
W
but in another instant the sparrow and fly
ing fish had changed their course and were
again we'll up in the air, and, fighting
fercely were flying toward the PIER.
Meanwhile the sparrow was screening and
all the while pecking the fish it sailed
on through the air. Now the bird appea red
to be beneath the fish and again forcing 1t
up in the air; now 1t appeared to be strug
Cling and falling. but the sparrow never
ceased to peck at the flying fish. Suddenly
| the cock sparrow gave a loud screech and
tho oh WA n
| saults similar to those 1t made when first
attacked. The next instant the sparrow
| closed its wings and fell into the ocean,
| dead. The sea robin disappeared beneath
| the water. The bug escaped.
Several interested fishermen followed the
| cock sparrow along the pier as 1t was wash
ed ashore. and when picked up a stab
| wound was seen directly beneath the left
| wing, which probably penetrated the heart
! Old fishermen say the sea robin can and
will fight better in midair than III the wa
| ter, and they declared that the wound I'M
| der the sparrow's wing was made by the
fsh's sword or forward nm.