AustLit

Goldie Irish has loved Ross Fields for two years, but Ross is engaged to the delicately beautiful Tessa Clarke who, in turn, seems more interested in the disreputable Rip Warren. When they are all invited to Goldie's cousins' house in Bowral, Goldie is determined she will make one last effort to secure Ross's affections.

Sally Martindale has convinced herself she will never marry but will instead build herself a business empire. The decision is helped by the way Phil, her brother-in-law, harangues her sister, Clara, and by the fact that Bob, the man she thought loved her, appears to have moved his affections to Bertha Laurel. However, when Bob meets her one evening as she is leaving work her determination wavers.

Chisholm discusses the interactions between birds and humans. While birds can learn to approach people for food, he also explains how the white-eared honeyeater has learned to obtain human hair for their nests. In other examples he relates anecdotes where birds, and in one case a hare, have approached humans, apparently seeking protection from predators.