THE ENGLISH SPARROW AND ITS ALLIES 291 



impaling seems to be done chiefly in the winter time, and 

 apparently has for its purpose the storing of food against 

 possible famine. Among birds frequently destroyed by 

 them is the English sparrow, and it has been suggested that 

 the shrikes should be encouraged to live in parks of cities 



FIG. 274. Cedar waxwing (Ampelis cedro 



infested by sparrow pests ; but unfortunately the shrikes 

 do not confine themselves to this intruder. We have two 

 species of shrikes, a northern (Fig,, 273) and a southern. 

 The Ampelidae, or waxwings, are found over the Northern 

 Hemisphere. They are migratory, go in flocks, feed on 



