The Birds’ Calendar 
more barbaric from the throat of any bird, es- 
pecially a ‘‘ song-bird ;’’ and according to all 
reports this was a fair exhibition of its musical 
ability. 
Its food consists of insects, mice, and the 
various small winter-birds, and it is accustomed, 
for some unknown reason, to impale some of 
its victims upon thorns, or sharp twigs, al- 
though it is asserted upon very good evidence 
that it never feeds upon what it has thus stored 
up. In these cases its pleasure in cruelty seems 
to prompt it to capture the prey when not 
hungry, and, having no use for it, it is dis- 
posed of in this manner. It is well that the 
name of this bird should be a lasting memento 
of its infamy. But although neither gifted nor 
handsome, it yet deserves our thanks for its one 
redeeming feature, viz., that it makes havoc 
among the English sparrows. Would that it 
were ten times larger, so that it could obliterate 
more of them ! 
Of about two hundred species of the shrike 
family in the world, there are only two in this 
country—the northern, which breeds in north- 
ern Maine and beyond, and comes down into 
the more southern States in winter, and the 
loggerhead shrike, inhabiting chiefly the South- 
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