7 o 



A BUSH CALENDAR 



for departure. There were no other birds about the glade, 

 which is generally so gay with songs and flutterings. The dry 

 weather has driven them all further down the creek bed, where 

 they can find a little water. So when wie had idled to our 

 heart's content over our tea and fruit we hid our basket 

 beneath the white-flowered bursaria bushes and started off 

 down the gully. 



Such a quiet gully it was. One could hardly believe it was 

 the same place that three months ago blazed and glowed in 

 all its spring gorgeousness. But, though the gay splendour 

 had departed, there was plenty to watch and wonder at, for 

 there is never a month in the year when the marvels of the bush 



cease. Fruits and seeds have taken 

 the place of flowers ; not the luscious 

 wild fruits of tropical climes, but 

 strange, odd-shaped ones, much more 

 interesting in appearance. . There 

 isn't much to eat in our bush, but 

 there is plenty to admire. The 

 needlebushes are developing their 

 extraordinary wooden fruit of purple- 

 brown; the big grape-like berries 

 of one of the gee-bungs hang in 

 decorative clusters of purple-green 

 amongst their slender green leaves ; 

 while from the delicate trailing 



GEEBUNGS 



