. . The . . 



South Australian Naturalist. 



VOL. III. ADELAIDE, MAY, 1922. No. 3 



NOTES OF THE MONTH. 



Close Season for Native Flowers. — The late Minister for 

 Local Government in New Sonth Wales (Mr. Mntcli) stated 

 recently that he proposed to establish a close season for some 

 varieties of native flowers growing in that State, among them 

 being the waratah, rock lily, gymea, and Christmas bnsh. 



S.A. Handbooks of Natural History. — We learn with great 

 pleasnre tliat very satisfactory jn'ogress is being made with 

 the preparation of these volumes. It is understood that the 

 handbooks to the flora of South Australia, compiled by Mr. 

 J. M. Black, will be one of the first to be issued. 



Excursion, Long Gully to Upper Sturt, February 11, 1922. — 



The Secretary (]\Ir. E. H. Ising) led a large party over the steep 

 hills leading from Long Gully railway station to t^ie Upper 

 Sturt station. Mr. Ising was able to find many summer plants 

 about which to discourse, among others the blue Lobelia 

 gibbosa, which has the strange habit of flowering, sometimes for 

 weeks, after removal from the root, the flower obtaining 

 nourishment from the food supply stored in the swollen stem. 

 Wahlenbergia gracilis, Bursaria spinosa, and Erythrea spicata 

 were in full bloom. The introduced St. John's Wort (Hyperi- 

 cum perforatum) is flourishing along the railway line, and pro- 

 mises to become a pest, as it has done in Victoria. A few native 

 flowers found blooming after the rains included Tetratheca 

 ericifolia, Scaevola microcarj^a, Daviesia ulieina, and Goodenia 

 geniculata. The introduced French flax (Linum Gallicum) was 

 found to be spreading at Tapper Sturt. The party were hos- 

 pitably entertained by Mr. and Mrs. T. How James at their 

 home at Upper Sturt. 



Excursion, February 25, 1922, to Mr. E. Savage's Residence, 

 Henley Beach. — This excursion was a combined meeting of the 

 Field Naturalists and the Aquarium Society, luider the leader- 



