17, 1939 (Anon. 1940) must be considered in- 
d in the absence of supporting evidence. There 
no valid winter records for Illinois. 
d Habits 
There have been no studies on the food of the 
swallow in Illinois, but we have often observed 
the large migrant swarms of this and other 
llow species occur coincidentally with extensive 
rms of midges (Chironomidae). When feeding, 
birds will even flutter against trees and shrub- 
j to put the small flies into the air, though most 
he insects are taken in regular flight. We believe 
chironomids form an important part of the 
diet of migrant swallows, but detailed quantitative 
studies are very much needed. 
BANK SWALLOW (Riparia riparia) 
(Fig. 6 and 7) 
Spring Migration 
So far as is known the migration of the bank 
swallow is diurnal, and the actual flights have been 
reported only near large streams or rivers (Cooke 
& Widmann 1884, and Barnes 1935)e 
The earliest spring arrivals have been seen April 
‘ig. 6—Bank swallows. The dark chest band is the distinctive mark of this brownish-backed species. 
