274 Transactions. — Zoology. 



white-eye, Zosterops, which came to New Zealand about the 

 year 1860 as well as I can fix the date. 



The berries on the ranges or mountain-side were few and 

 of little food-value, the chief in point of size being the snow- 

 berry, but it was seldom seen. M3' opinion is that the kea 

 lived mainly on the lichen growing on the rocks and on grubs 

 when obtainable. The lichen would, in places where the rocks 

 were steep, be free from a covering of snow when all else was 

 snowed up to a depth of 3ft. or more. 



The kea always lived high up the mountains a long distance 

 above the forest-line, for you must understand that on a 

 mountain- side each variety of tree has its limit of elevation. 

 The mixed bush grows on the plain ; and a short distance 

 above, where these trees, as rimu, white-pine, black-pine, &c, 

 are at their highest, and cease to grow, come the different kinds 

 of Fag us, of which the so-called black-birch attains the 

 highest elevation. On glancing along the alpine hills, such as, 

 for instance, those on either shore of Lake Wakatipu, you will 

 see with surprise that the dark-green of the trees reaches so 

 far up the mountain-side, and is then cut off level and clean as 

 far as the eyesight can extend into the far distance. Above 

 this level line of dark forest comes the brown straw-colour of 

 the mountain-grass, which in turn gives way to the slate-grey 

 or yellow-grey of the rocky summits and their debris of broken 

 stones. 



On this same forest limit grew also the tall bracken fern, 

 so the dark-green of the forest would be at places for a con- 

 siderable extent varied by the brighter green of the fern. But 

 both forest and fern attained the same elevations, and so the 

 long line of green was only changed in shade of colour, and 

 did not encroach upon the area of the yellow grasses.* The 

 kea lived above this forest limit, and was mostly seen moving 

 about the rocks and boulders on the ridge of the mountain- 

 tops. The name "kea" would seem to be an imitation of a fre- 

 quent call of this bird. But it also makes a number of other 

 sounds. About the first I can remember of this bird was at a 

 time when I resided near the head-waters of the Oreti or New 

 Biver. One hot day — it probably was in the summer-time — 

 when walking across the valley between the mountains, my 

 attention was attracted by a remarkable sound or series of 

 cries. These I mistook for the noise of several small puppies 

 of the wild dog, crying from hunger in the nest. I at once set 

 to work to climb up the steep mountain-side to capture these 

 creatures ; but the result was not as was expected, but a dull- 

 green-coloured bird was found seated on a projecting piece of 

 rock. These birds are coloured green, shaded with black, and 



* This description i3 of scenery some thirty years ago. 



