Philpott. — Birds of South-western Of ago. 221 



and mob him, but he took very little notice of them. In the spring and 

 summer the bird was never to be found on the usual perch, which seems 

 to indicate that the morepork pairs for the nesting season only. It is 

 popularly supposed that this owl shelters by day in a hole in a tree, but 

 I have on many occasions surprised the bird by day, and always found it 

 perched under tree-fern fronds or in similarly shaded situations. 



Wherever any forest is still standing the morepork is not uncommon. 

 A few years ago I had the good fortune to come upon a brood of young 

 birds which had just left the nest. They were perched on a dead limb, 

 and both parents were busy catching moths and other insects for them. 

 1 think it very probable that the old birds largely supplement their own 

 diet with such large insects as they can catch. 



NESTORIDAE. 



Kea (Nestor notabilis Gould). 



The kea is common on the Hunter Mountains, where its numbers seem 

 to be on the increase. Contrary to the experience of flock-owners in other 

 localities, Mr. H. Cuthbert, who utilizes Mount Burns and Cleughearn, 

 informs me that the birds have never to his knowledge interfered with his 

 sheep. During several visits to the Hunters in January of each year I 

 paid special attention to the food of the kea. In January, 1917, the 

 mountain-flax {Phormium Cookianum) was in flower, and little flocks of 

 keas might daily be found sucking the nectar from the blossoms. On more 

 than one occasion keas were observed breaking oft' and splitting up the 

 flower-stalks of the celmisias. The soft central portion of the stalk seemed 

 to be the part desired, for, though I examined the refuse in order to 

 ascertain if it was caterpillars or some other form of insect-life that the 

 bird was after, I could find no trace of such. The gizzards, however, of a 

 few which were captured showed that insects formed a large proportion 

 of their food, remains of the larvae of Cicadae being plentiful. Though the 

 kea may often be seen stripping off the lichen and moss from the branches 

 of trees, the bird does not seem to bore into and break up decayed wood 

 as its congener the kaka does ; probably Nothofagus logs do not contain 

 sufficient insect-life to make it worth while. 



During the greater part of the day the keas frequented the open hills, 

 but in the mornings and evenings they were to be found about the upper 

 edge of the forest, and they passed the night in the trees. On sunny days, 

 generally about four in the afternoon, they took what appeared to be 

 pleasure flights. They would circle about in companies, breaking up and 

 re-forming again, swooping down towards the ground and soaring up again, 

 and crossing and recrossing each other's paths with excited cries. The 

 kaka has the same pleasing habit. 



Though I have found the kea very inquisitive and given to the investi- 

 gation of every strange object, I have not met with any instances of that 

 extreme playfulness recorded by some observers. 



Kaka {Nestor meridionalis meridionalis Gmelin). 



Abundant in the coastal forest beyond the Waiau River ; it ascends 

 as high as the bush-line, but is most common in the mixed forest near the 

 sea. In the Titiroa Forest it is not plentiful, even in the lower areas. In 

 Stewart Island the back country still yields a refuge, but near the settled 

 areas the bird is scarce. The smaller forests are now practically forsaken 



