The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-26
SPARROW LOST HIS FIGHT.
Killed by the Flying Fish When Both
Went After the Same Bug.

From the New York Sun.
There was a strange and fascinating
battle between a flying fish and a cock
sparrow off the fishing pier at Ocean
Grove last evening. The novel fight
was witnessed by Assistant City Clerk
II. b. Salter and several other we'll
known politicians Of Trenton, who
were angling off the pier, and they de-
scribe it vividly. The battle was short
ana fierce, and resulted i'm the death IF
a sparrow, whose strange abode on the
pier and whose friendly relations with
the fishermen had afforded the idle cot
taeers of thr Grove considerable food
for discussion during the season.
All summer frepuenters of the fish
ing pier have watched with interest a
pair of the desDised English sparrows
who apparently had a fascination for
the rolling, rollicking ocean. The pier
extends probably $50 feet into the
ocean and is built upon pling. The
seethinS, dashing, rolling waves of the
| ocean SPLASH INCREASINGLY against the
pier. very often the water being forced
between the boards, wetting the feet
of the patient fishermen. But notwith-
standing this the sparrows early this
spring built their nest benea tn 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
cottage fishermen, would help himself
| to q piece of whatever was being used
for bait and disappear beneath the
pier. To the regulars" on the pier he
became a steady caller.
Every morning at 6 o'clock the cock
| sparrow would present himself to the
/ first angler to appear, and he would
hop upor the bait basket as if he had
mortgage upon its contents. After
| eating his fill the cock sparrow would
disappear with food for his mate and
little ones beneath the pier. The spar.
! rows became known to the cottagers
who frequented the pier, and so friend
| ly did the birds become they would
accept food from the hands of the chill
| dren on more than one occasion the
sparrows were driven from their nest
by the rolling waves. and on particu.
larly stormy days the birds would
| spend the day under one Of the benches
! on the pier between the fishermen's
| feet. but they never, apparently, VEN
tured in as far as land.
Early yesterday evening the coc,,
sparrow was fitting about as usual.
while the anglers We're busy batting
their hooks. Suddenly a bug went
/ buZzing by across the breakers The
cock sparrow darted after the bug
just as the sparrow darted from the
pier sea robin. or fying fish, jumped
| from the water and went sailing
through the air, evidently bent upon
capturing the same morsel of food the
sparrow had determined upon-the bug
| Like 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 moment the onlOokers expected
the sparrow to be carried under the
| water, but In another instant the SPAR
row and dying fish had changed their
course and We're again well up in the
air, and fighting fercely, were lying
| toward the pier. Meanwhile the SPAR
row was screeching and all the while
| pecking the fish as il sailed on through
the air. Now the bird appeared to be
beneath the fish and again forcing il
up i'm the air; now II appeared TO be
struggling and falling. but the sparrow
never ceased to peck at the flying fish.
Suddenly the cock sparrow gave loud
screech and the fish was seen to make
several somersaults similar to those It