THE WARBLERS. 235 



English sparrow, a bird which perhajis has been useful in 

 Eastern cities in destroying canker-worms, bnt is now a 

 general nuisance botli in the city and the country. Our 

 song-sparrow [Melospiza fasciata) is widely distributed, and 

 everywiiere commends itself by its pleasant notes. Quite 

 opposed in its habits is the butcher-bird or shrike (Fig. 275), 

 a quarrelsome, rapacious bird, which feeds on insects or 

 small mammals, often impaling them on thorns or sharp 

 twigs, and leaving them there. The group of vireos or 

 greenlets (Fig. 276) are peculiar to America; their bills are 

 hooked, with a notch at base; they are warblers. The 



Fia. 276.— Warbling Vireo. Fig. 277.— Carolina Waxwing. 



wax-wing {Ampelis cedroruvi, Fig. 277) is the type of an 

 allied family. The swallows and martins axe interesting 

 from the change made in the nesting habits of the more 

 common species which rear their young in artificial nests 

 or in barns, or under the eaves of buildings. 



Another group characteristic of North America is the 

 warblers, Dendrmca {D. virens, Fig. 278) being the repre- 

 sentative genus. On the other hand, the larks are an Old 

 World assemblage of birds, but few species occurring in 

 this country, while the wrens (Fig. 279) are mostly re- 

 stricted to America. 



