Benham. — On the Flesh-eating Propensity of the Kea. 85 



M. Stuart Holmes, now of Kakauui, has been sheep-farming 

 since 1874, and was at one time manager of Lake Wanaka Station 

 (1881-82). 



John King, of Pembroke, was at one time engaged as " kea- 

 shooter " on H. Campbell's station in the " seventies," and has 

 had a long experience in that district. 



James MacDonald, now a farmer at Dipton. Southland, 

 at one time head shepherd on Henry Campbell's station at 

 Wanaka. 



Bobert McGregor, of Hawea Flat, speaks of the attacks at 

 Triplet Peaks, Lake Hawea, from 1877 to 1883. 



Roderick McKenzie, now of Birchwood, Southland, was part 

 owner in 1889 to 1891 of Hawea Lake Station. 



In addition to these correspondents, I have received informa- 

 tion of kea-attacks from Mr. James W. R. Green, now porter 

 at the Hermitage Inn, Southern Alps. He had been employed 

 as rabbiter at Mount Cook Station, and has shot keas while 

 attacking sheep. And from some other sources I have obtained 

 information. 



In addition to answering a series of questions which I sent 

 them, several of the above gentlemen wTote letters containing 

 their personal experiences, which appear to be of sufficient 

 interest to entitle them to be placed on record. 



1. Mr. Dougald Bell 



" Hawea Lake Station, 20th February, 1906. 



" In reply to yours of the 20th November re keas killing 

 sheep .... I can safely say that they kill 5 per cent, 

 of the flocks in all the country that is infested with keas. As 

 a matter of fact, this season in my small flock [number not 

 given] during the time we were mustering I personally counted 

 twenty-five sheep killed by keas ; I also shot three keas killing 

 a live sheep. I shot one of them on the sheep's back, tearing 

 away at the kidney-fat and meat. [The majority of my corre- 

 spondents do not lay stress on this, and no doubt Mr. Bell merely 

 means that the bird was tearing away at this region.] After 

 I shot the keas, the sheep, a big, strong, half-bred wether, which 

 was holed all along the back and ribs, managed to get up and 

 walk away, but he would be sure to die, as he was too much 

 holed and worried to live. I shot eight keas during the time 

 we were mustering in January last, and they were all full of 

 mutton in their stomachs [crops]. 



" There is another matter I should like to point out to you 

 about keas : when they have eaten all the flesh off the bone, 

 then they tackle the shoulder [i.e., humerus] and leg bones, 

 and take all the marrow out of the bone by chipping the bones 



