2S8 BIRDS OF THE DISTRICT OF GEELONG 
favourite haunts are wide grassy meadows remote 
from habitation, such as the low-lying land between 
the second breakwater and the southern arm of 
Lake Connewarre, or uncultivated strips adjoining 
crop-lands. In such places it nests, making a loose 
open structure of dried grasses in a slight depression 
sheltered by a tuft of growing grass ; the nest has not 
yet, however, been recorded from this district. The 
eggs are three or four in number, of a white ground- 
colour thickly freckled with small red spots. 
The Brown Song-lark has a loud strident note, 
uttered as it rises abruptly from the ground and 
soars into the air. I have only heard the male. I 
never saw this species perch in trees, and only occa- 
sionally on a fence ; it is a ground-loving bird. 
The last one I saw was at Ceres. I have also met 
with it at Gheringhap and Warren Ponds. It is never 
a common bird. 
RUFOUS SONG-LARK 
Ptenoedus mathewsi vigorsi 
In the middle eighties boys living near the Eastern 
Park called this bird the " Indian Ground-lark," by 
way of differentiating it from the Common Pipit or 
Ground-lark, to which it bears a superficial resemblance. 
But the song of the male at once distinguishes it ; few 
of our birds have a richer, fuller series of notes. It 
rises from the ground with a burst of song, sings all 
the time as it flies higher and higher in a series of 
