AN AUSTRALIAN BIRD COOK. 121 



1 239 White-backed Swallow (Black and White, White- 



1 breasted, White-capped), Gheramoeca leucostemum, 

 A., exc. N. Ter. =vt. Eur. Sand-Martin. 



Stat. r. inland 5.8 

 Back, throat, chest white; wings, tail, rump, abdomen 

 black; no rust-red; f., sim. Insects. 



2 240*Tree Martin, Tree Swallow, Petrocheliclon nigricans, 

 10 Mol., N.G., A., T., Bass St. Is., N.Z. =vt. Eur. Tree 



Swallow. Mig. flocks, v.c. timber 5.1 



Head, back black; under, rump whitish-gray; indistinct 

 whitish collar; rust-red forehead; f., sim. Flying 

 insects. 

 241 Fairy Martin, Bottle (Land, Cliff, Retort) Swallow, P. 



ariel, E.A., S.A., T. (occ). Mig. c. cliffs, banks 4.7 



Head rust-red; black back; rump, under white; tail 

 slightly forked; f., sim. Insects. 

 F. 119. MUSCICAPIDAE (71), FLYCATCHERS, 690 sp.— 

 354(346)A., 164(148)0., 14(1)R, 155(151)E., 

 5(2)Nc, 20(17)N1. 

 4 242*Australian Brown Flycatcher, Jacky Winter, Post- 

 11 boy, Post-sitter, White-tail, Stump-Bird, Spinks, 

 Peter-Peter, Microeca fascinans, E.A., S.A. 



Stat. c. open, forest 5.2 

 Upper pale-brown; side tail white; under lighter; chin, 

 abdomen white; swings tail sideways; f., sim. In- 

 sects. Songster. 

 243 Allied Flycatcher (Lesser Brown), M. assimilis, N. 



A., V. (ace), W.A. Insects. Stat. c. open, forest 4.6 

 Like 242, but smaller; outer tail feathers brown at base. 



it is not a matter of surprise to find that they have spread the 

 world over, except to New Zealand, though Tree Swallows are 

 said to reach even that distant land occasionally. 



The Australian members of the Swallow family present very 

 different nesting habits. While the Welcome Swallow builds the 

 well-known cup-like mud nest, the rare White-backed Swallow 

 drills a two-inch hole into a bank for two or three feet, and there 

 builds its nest. The Tree Martin (Swallow), on the other hand, 

 makes no nest, but lays its eggs on leaves placed on the rotten 

 wood in the hollow of a tree. The Fairy Martin builds a long, 

 bottle-shaped mud flask, under a bridge, or a ledge, and so is 

 sometimes called the Bottle or Retort Swallow. Wood-Swallows 

 and Swifts do not belong to the Swallow family. 



The Flycatcher family is a large one, nearly 700 species being 

 accepted by Dr. Sharpe. More than half of these are restricted 

 to the Australian region. 



The Brown Flycatcher is almost as common as the Willie Wag- 

 tail (Black and White Fantail). The white feather on each side 

 of the tail is a valuable guide, though the Groundlark also has 

 this. So often does it sit on fence posts looking at the passer-by 

 that it has been called the "Post-Sitter." Its Sydney name, 



