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 (Tipulidge). 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. Representa- 
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), bits 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 
