92 A BUSH CALENDAR 



And never was there such a day for playing. According 

 to all traditions winter should be sad and silent, and there 

 should be no birds with happy song. But this dear, contrary 

 land of ours loves to upset traditions, and instead of flying off 

 to summer quarters, or skulking in the bushes, tots of birds 

 are trilling forth their sweetest songs. There are very few 

 now burdened with domestic cares. The white-cheeked and 

 New Holland honey-eaters still have eggs and young ones to 

 look after, and a. few belated redheads are bringing out their 

 families; but the majority of birds are free to enjoy life, and 

 though many have migrated, there is a chorus of full bird 

 voices such as has not been heard since the early spring. All 

 through the summer we heard nothing but baby talk ; now the 

 parents are singing in their normal voices, and the young birds 

 now well grown, are also trying theirs. And if the chorus is 

 not as complete as in the springtide, there is nothing sad and 

 melancholy about those bird notes that ring through bush and 

 gully, and tell the world that though summer is over and winter 

 is here, there is still plenty of sunshine and joy in this beautiful 

 land of ours. 



FLOWERS BLOOMING. 

 Crowea saligna 

 Pimelea linifolia 

 Bossiaea heterophylla 



Acacia discolor Port Jackson wattle 



Acacia linearis 

 Acacia linifolia 

 Callistemon lanceolatus Bottlebrush 



