THE WARBLERS. 
235 
English sparrow, a bird which perhaps has been useful in 
Eastern cities in destroying canker-worms, but is now a 
general nuisance both in the city and the country. Our 
song-sparrow {Mflospiza fasciata) is widely distributed, and 
everywliere commends itself by its pleasant notes. Quite 
opposed in its habits is the butcher-bird or shrike (Pig. 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 (Pig. 276) ai-e peculiar to America; their bills are 
hooked, with a notch at base; they are warblers. The 
Fig. 276.— Warbling Vireo. Fig. 277.— Carolina Waxwing. 
wax-wing {Ampelis cedrorum, Pig. 277) is the type of an 
allied family. The swallows and martins are 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, Dendrceca {D, virens, Pig. 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 (Pig. 279) are mostly re- 
stricted to America, 
