AN AUSTRALIAN BIRD BOOK. 
121 
1 239 White-backed Swallow (Black and White, White- 
1 breasted. White-capped), Gheramoeca Icucosternuniy 
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, Petrochelidon 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. cliifs, 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)P., 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 Flycatclier (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. 
