26 BULLETIN 619, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
boll weevil, in 4 stomachs; the rice weevil, and two species of en- 
graver beetle. Among the beetles other than weevils were a num- 
ber of species of the group commonly known as flea beetles. Some of 
these are very destructive to garden vegetables and the leaves of 
fruit trees. 
Ants were eaten in every month, but rather irregularly. In July 
they amount to 35.5 per cent and in September to 22.89 per cent, 
which together are about four-fifths of this kind of food for the 
whole season. The total for the year is 11.99 per cent. Other Hy- 
menoptera (18.91 per cent) are eaten regularly and abundantly in 
every month. They contain the usual admixture of parasitic species, 
which being abundant are always to be found. 
Hemiptera constitute 14.9 per cent of the food and are eaten regu- 
larly from May to September. None were found in stomachs taken 
in April, and more than four- fifths of them were taken in August 
and September. Ten different families are represented, but stink- 
bugs, tree hoppers, leaf hoppers, and negro bugs were the most 
numerous. All of these are more or less harmful. 
Diptera are the favorite food of the rough-wing, as they are of 
most other swallows. They amount to 32.89 per cent, a record that 
is exceeded only by the tree and barn swallows. They were found 
in 93 stomachs, 9 of which were entirely filled with them. Flies are 
such soft-bodied creatures that it is not easy to determine species * 
from the remains found in the stomachs. Five families, however, 
were identified. In 5 stomachs were recognized members of the s 
family Tachinidse, composed of parasitic species that live in and* 
destroy caterpillars or other insects, and therefore are useful. Of 
the remaining four, one family is of no importance, and the others are 
harmful or at least annoying. 
Lepidoptera are eaten sparingly by the rough-wing. The total 
for the year is 1.11 per cent. All were contained in 5 stomachs, 1 of 
which was taken in April, 2 in May, and 2 in September. Three of 
the 5 contained moths, and 2 caterpillars. 
Orthoptera are represented in the food of the rough-wing by the 
fragments of one grasshopper found in a stomach taken in Arkansas 
on July 5. This made up 16 per cent of the contents of the stomach 
(0.12 per cent of the food of the year). 
Insects belonging to other orders are taken occasionally by the 
birds. Of these, dragonflies were found in 3 stomachs and May flies 
in 5. In 5 other stomachs was material so finely mashed as to defy 
identification beyond the fact that it had once been insects. Frag- 
ments of spiders were found in 6 stomachs and a snail in 1. Alto- 
gether they amount to 5.04 per cent and close the account of animal 
food. 
