FOOD HABITS OF THE SWALLOWS. 23 



in August (17.69 per cent). Leaf hoppers (Jassidae), plant lice 

 (Aphididse), and tree hoppers (Membracidse) were found in 22, 13, 

 and 10 stomachs, respectively. These are all small insects, but they 

 often do an immense amount of harm. Six other families of Hemip- 

 tera were identified in the stomachs, but in less quantities than the 

 above. No special pest was discovered, but nearly all terrestrial 

 Hemiptera are harmful. 



Diptera constitute the largest element of the food of 4 of the 7 

 species herein discussed. With the bank swallow they form 26.63 

 per cent of the diet. Most of them belong to the family of the house- 

 fly (Muscidse) and the family of the craneflies (Tipuliclse). The 

 last are slow-flying creatures and can be easily captured by swal- 

 lows, and although made up largely of wings and legs, they seem 

 to be very acceptable food for many species of birds. Eepresenta- 

 tives of two other families were found in the stomachs. 



Lepidoptera, eaten in only four months, and aggregating for the 

 year only 1.21 per cent, are most certainly not a favorite food of the 

 bank swallow. They were found in only five stomachs, of which three 

 contained moths and two caterpillars. One stomach was entirely 

 filled with caterpillars, which were probably snatched from the tops 

 of plants as the bird dashed past. 



Orthoptera were identified in the food of the bank swallow by two 

 jaws of a grasshopper in one stomach and one jaw of a cricket in 

 another. This low record is interesting, in view of the fact that so 

 many birds subsist largely upon grasshoppers and allied insects. 



Dragonflies (Odonata), being rather large, swift-flying insects, 

 are not preyed upon by many species of birds; but, usually found 

 about water, they naturally fall in the way of bank swallows and 

 form 2.11 per cent of their food. This is not a high percentage, but 

 is notable, as so few birds eat these insects at all. The purple martin 

 (Progne subis) is the only swallow that greatly exceeds this record. 



A few other insects amount to 10.53 per cent. The great bulk of 

 these consist of May flies (Ephemerida), which are eaten freely, 

 especially in the first of the season. They begin at 43.43 per cent in 

 April and decrease until they finally disappear in August. A few 

 spiders and one snail amount to 0.14 per cent. Besides the foregoing, 

 which may be considered as food, there were found in the stomachs 

 bits of mother of pearl (nacre), bite of eggshell, and pieces of stone, 

 all of which must have been picked from the ground. 



Included among the stomachs whose contents have been discussed 

 were those of 28 nestlings all taken from the same colony and at 

 approximately the same time. The food did not differ in any im- 

 portant respect from that of the adults, but 10 stomachs contained 

 angular fragments of stone — not pebbles or gravel stones but broken 

 fragments — taken from a quarry or where macadam was being 



