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.