The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-19
WINGED DUEL IN THE AIR.
Hornet, Bunblebee and sparrow Come
Together and Fight to the Death,

Hornet, Bunblebee and sparrow Come
Together and Fight TO the Death,
THE aeroest fight | ever saw took place
in the air. The oombRtants we're q hornet.
a bumblebee and a sparrow. All the
Hagues In history couldn't have stopped it.
There was nothing in the appearance or
manner OF the man who made the state
ment to indicate that he was otherwise than
truthful. The gathering that had been
talking Of champions and knockouts and
gate money stopped and listened.
Il was on the porch Of my house. chinkinR
up for the summer, when the hornet came
along continued the man. who saw that he
was expected to make good his statement.
He was building a nest there and watched
him on several trips carrying material.
"A few minutes later a blmblebee OF un-
usual size and brilliant color o a buzz
about the premises. His buzz was deep
toned and earnest.
I'm an out o'door man. and l have always
notioed that headon collisions between
aerial navigators are almost unknown.
i wonder that humans haven't initiated
these flyers more than they have in this re-
speot.
u Wdb u RllbVuT hO"CNcl W . thdN II
the case / am telling you about the hornet
and the bumblebee lodged each other several
times. That's what made me quitm own job
and take notice. l soon discovered that the
~bumblebee was intent upon invading the
nest OF the hornet. but only when the hornet
was absent.
THE bumbler was evidently on the look
out, for as soon as the hornet showed up he
Aavu In Qnnfhar 6iraOtiOn M ROOnnT did
the hornet finish and fly away than the bum
blebee sailed back with a biff from his Turk
ing sAp eiS Returned on. too often, or. rather.
he tarried too long on his Last visit, AZ he
quit the hornets nest the hornet gave him a
bat that sounded like the explosion Of a
percussion cap. 1t made my blood tingle..
"They were together quicker than a wink,
up and down, hutting, backing out and COM
ing together again until both dropped TO the
to. They fairly rolled together.
sThen they arose in the air. The hornet
gave chase until he bore down on the bee.
The bee turned like @ hawk and met his
pursuer. The hornet duoked. Then they
got :2sothss sEs!I, sSa ssd:a = We: IN Up
ing and biting and batting surpassed
anything I ever say In the ring.
while they were at 1t along an
English sparrow. He had q bit Of rag or
WlBp OF something, whose weight a. te9tlnE
his strength. 1t trailed In the wake Of tho
bird and the lower end Of 1t came in contact
with the hornet and the bee. And In some
way the sparrow lost his clutch.
INSTANTLY the sparrow dArted downward
10 recover the wisp. The sparrow 10 q
fool, but q fighter. This bird made q dip
for the wisp and came between the fighters.
For a second he futtered az IL he had
been shot. In less than q second the pluoky
bird recovered and made another attempt
to get his property.
For an instant there was o fast, fractions
and fierce commingl ling Of the three. TIT
last round had come.
THE bumblebee fell TO the earth, pursued
by the sparrow. They hit the dust together.
At the same instant the hornet went Of in
q zigzag direction. I lost sight Of him
and went TO the contest between the bee
and the sparrow,
sThe bee was dead. He had been literally
pecked to strings. The sparrow, swollen
TO twice his normal eiZe, was helpless.
He futtered feebly and expired. He had
been stung TO death.
u returned 10 my porch and waited.
Nearly an hour elapsed when / saw the
hornet come back. He fell In his effort TO
nv. Finally he crawled across the floor,
climbed up the side OF the house feebly
and reached his nest.
He never came out. When ] thought IL
safe 70 do 40 ] mounted my s~tepladder
and carefully examined the nest through
A maRnifying glass. The hornet wa
dead. 60 M three fighters we're accounted
forf