240 



Descriptive Zoology. 



obnoxious insects. Certain it is that the English sparrow 

 drives away many birds that were very useful in destroy- 

 ing such insects. The English 'sparrow is a bold, pugna- 

 cious bird ; he makes himself at home, but drives from 

 home many of our fine birds, such as the bluebird, pewee, 

 and wren. This sparrow, like most sparrows, is mainly a 

 seed eater, and does considerable damage in this way. A 

 further charge against him is his dirty habits. 



The swallows are another interesting family, comprising 

 the "swallow-tailed" barn swallow, the eave swallow, the 



FIG. 145. BUTCHER BIRD ; SHRIKE. 



From Miller's My Saturday Bird Class. 



bank swallow, which makes its nest in long, horizontal 

 holes in steep banks, and the half-domesticated martin. 



The shrikes are hawklike in appearance and in habits, 

 having a hooked beak and sharp claws. They catch mice, 

 frogs, small birds, snakes, grasshoppers, etc., and impale 

 them on the thorns of hedges and other trees. From these 

 habits they are also called mouse hawks and butcher birds. 

 A large family of small birds called warblers live in tree 

 tops, and are not well known except to those who take 

 special pains to study them. The sprightly wrens are 

 placed in the same family with the mocking bird, catbird, 

 and brown thrush. These last three are superb singers. 

 Another fine songster is the wood thrush ; though placed in 



