The breast bone and the muscles of the voice apparatus are unusual. These birds are about the size of a thrush, and form "one of the most curious ornithological types of the many furnished by that country" (Australia).
So far, no female bird has been examined, and little is known about these remarkable, noisy, scrub-haunting birds.
The remaining forty-eight "families" of birds belong to the Normal Song-Birds. It is interesting to note that Australia contains representatives of twenty-nine families of Song-Birds. Representatives of but nineteen families have been recorded from Britain. The Indian Empire, including Burmah and Ceylon, contains representatives of twenty-two families, North America, also, of twenty-two families, while in South America twenty-three families are represented in this highest division of birds.
Again, while only 89 Song-Birds have been recorded as permanent residents of, or regular visitors to, Britain, almost 500 species of Song-Birds have, so far, been recorded from Australia and Tasmania. Of these, 157 have been recorded from Victoria, and are illustrated in this volume. And yet, we are told, this is a land of songless birds.
Swallows have always attracted much notice, perhaps, because of their airy play when enjoying themselves after their long migration flight. It is very difficult to realize that Cuvier and most scientists of one hundred years ago believed that Swallows hibernated by burying themselves in the mud in the bottom of lakes and pools. It is interesting to note, in Gilbert White's Natural History of Selborne, the growing doubt concerning this belief; but, as it was supported by apparently good authority, he is cautious. Fuller observation shows that there are well-marked lines of migration, so that the European Swallow migrates sometimes even as far as South Africa, and the Swallows of North Asia are said to migrate even to Australia. However, in our winterless clime, migration is not complete, and this year (1910) there was probably little migration of Swallows. As Swallows are such rapid fliers, and spend much of their time on the wing, 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 Wagtail (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, Jacky Winter, is less formal than Brown Flycatcher—a name which is already in use for another bird.
The Robin Redbreast of Britain is regarded with affection by all English children. That feeling has been transferred to the externally slightly similar "Robin Redbreasts" of this country, though they are not at all related to the British Robins. Redbreast is really the name of the English bird, and Robin is perhaps a term of endearment added to the name Redbreast. While the British bird has a rufous breast, the Australian birds have a scarlet breast, and are much handsomer birds. The British Robin is now placed in the Thrush family.
Once given to members of this family, the name Robin has been adopted for related birds that have no red—e.g., the black and white Hooded Robin, and the Tasmanian Dusky Robin. The Shrike Robins belong to the Shrike family, so they need not be mentioned here. The Scrub Robin of the inland dry scrubs belongs to the same family as the Coachwhip Bird and the Babbler.