268 BIRDS OF THE DISTRICT OF GEELONG 
a low, melancholy, whistling note issuing from out 
low bushes. That is the Little Grass-bird, a plainly 
coloured bird, brown above, and grey faintly streaked 
with brown below. It is a resident and non- 
migratory species, and is especially plentiful all over 
the flat country immediately west of Lake Conne- 
warre. Another favourite resort is the samphire 
scrub near the Salt Works, and about the mouth of 
Bream Creek. 
It has not diminished in numbers, as have so many 
of our birds. On November 26th, 191 1, we found 
it plentiful along the north-west shore of the Lake 
from Campbell's Point to Fisherman's, haunting the 
lignum bushes, and again among the lignums 
bordering the Reedy Lake water-reserve. On the 
north bank of the " Hospital Lake " it was in great 
numbers ; inhabiting in this locality the rushes 
intergrown with couch grass. Eight nests with eggs 
were noted during the day, six with three each and 
two with four each. 
The nests were roughly built of dried grasses, in 
form deep cups, and invariably were lined with large 
feathers, sometimes whitish, more usually dark. 
Swan's being the commonest, plucked from the dead 
bird. A few of these feathers usually curl over as 
if to shelter the eggs. Some nests were found just 
ready, others had young ; but this appeared to be about 
the height of the breeding-season. As to site, two 
of the nests with eggs were found in the rushes, the 
rest in lignum bushes ; the height of the nest from 
