Benham. — On the Flesh-eating Prope?isity of the Kea. 79 



on the rocks close by. On going down to the spot I found 

 the sheep, which was or had been a strong, fat one, with, 

 most of the wool stripped off its back and lying around in small 

 tufts. There was a large hole through the sheep's loins, into 

 which the kea kept diving and filling its mouth. The others 

 had apparently had their fill, as their heads were drenched 

 with blood." 



(c.) Frequently when the sheep are snowed up, and weakened 

 no doubt by want of food, they will fall victims to the birds. 

 Thus Mr. E. Cameron ^vTites, " A snowslide carried a sheep 

 with it. I happened to be on the hill about the time it hap- 

 pened. It was all covered with snow but its nose and one 

 hind leg, but still alive. The uncovered leg was eaten to the 

 bone — not a scrap left on it — with half a dozen keas fighting 

 over it." 



The kea is known to be a very fearless bird, and we have 

 a record in Mr. King's letter : " One man, who has had a good 

 deal of experience in the high country, tells me that on one 

 occasion, at Lake Ohau, in the Mackenzie country, he saw two 

 keas attack a mob of sheep standing in the yards at the wool- 

 sheds of that station. Shearing was going on at the time, and 

 this was seen by all the shearers present. The birds were shot." 



The sheep do not necessarily die from the attack, for, as men- 

 tioned, the animals are frequently observed to present healed 

 wounds when being shorn ; and cases are known in which part 

 of the intestine has been actually torn away, and the broken 

 end has adhered to the edges of the hole in the body- wall, so 

 as to form a new exit for the dung. Such a case is recorded 

 in Buller's work, and one of my correspondents — Bell — states 

 that he has met with two instances of it. 



The sheep that are selected by the keas as victims are ap- 

 parently always those in good condition, and with long wool, 

 especially such as have missed a shearing ; whereas a newly 

 shorn sheep, or one in poor condition, is never attacked. One 

 readily understands the choice of a well-covered sheep, as it 

 affords a firm foothold for the bird. 



Period of the Attacks. 



The attacks are most frequent in the spring and winter — 

 when presumably the natural food of the bird is scarce, or covered 

 with snow — but by no means are they confined to these seasons. 

 Further, it may be noted that the night-time is the period during 

 which much of the damage is done, though the bird is not ab- 

 solutely or entirely nocturnal. 



Any one who has spent a few days in the region of the 

 Southern Alps knows that the birds may frequently be seen 



