362 BIRDS OF THE DISTRICT OF GEELONG 
in flocks of about the same size, and inhabit similar 
classes of country. 
The Red-browed Finch is a much less common 
bird than it was, owing perhaps to bush-fires destroy- 
ing many of the nests containing eggs and young. 
This would happen especially about Anglesea and 
Airey's Inlet, where the diminution in the numbers 
of this bird is most noticeable. 
It visits Geelong in small numbers in the autumn 
and winter, but its true home is in well-wooded 
country and along the thickly-timbered banks of 
forest creeks. At the You Yangs it frequents the 
southern slopes of the hills, building in the isolated 
acacia bushes ; it is found in smaller numbers in 
the Queensclifl Road woods. Early in November, 
1886, I found a great many nests in the ti-tree fringing 
Lake Connewarre along the shore to the north of 
Campbell's Point ; at this spot it would now not 
be easy to find a bird, much less a nest. 
In the southern forest one finds it first at the 
Bull's Well, and from that point on it becomes 
increasingly numerous to Lorne. It is rarely if 
ever seen in the drier parts or on the hillsides, but 
keeps to the gullies and creek flats. 
The structure of the nest may have something 
to do with this, for it is composed of long grasses 
which it would not be easy for the birds to procure 
except in the damper gullies ; these are worked when 
almost green into a large round nest like a hollow 
ball, with a long, spout-like entrance. There is no 
