288 Transactions. 



to pull out the intestine, and several sheep have been found 

 alive with these organs protruding. Mr. A. Wilson says, " One 

 day I came suddenly upon two or three keas, busy picking^ 

 at the loin of what I supposed to be a dead sheep. There was 

 a hole right through the sheep's back, and the birds were put- 

 ting their heads right through to the inside of the sheep and 

 pulling out portions of the intestine, but I cannot say if they 

 ate them or not. I then went over, and to my surprise I found 

 that the sheep was not dead, so I killed it to put it out of pain." 



It is evident that these birds do not mind what part they 

 attack as long as they get something to eat, and when a sheep 

 is buried in the snow they go for the handiest part. Mr. E. 

 Cameron says, " A snow-slip carried some sheep with it. I 

 found the sheep stuck in the snow, where it landed, still alive, 

 with its hind leg eaten to the bone, and half a dozen keas tear- 

 ing away at him." 



I think that the theory about the bird killing the sheep 

 for the kidney alone is entirely wTong, and I doubt very much 

 if the kidneys are in any way the source of attraction. The 

 birds certainly do not leave the sheep to die a lingering death 

 while their hunger is unappeased, unless they are disturbed. 



As to the kidney-fat theory, though this has some evidence 

 to support it, I think that it is mostly because these parts are 

 easiest to get at. The very fact that the keas eat all parts of 

 a carcase except the wool and bones rather weakens this 

 theory. 



How THE Habit was acquired. 



We now come to the interesting question as to how the 

 kea acquired the habit of killing sheep and eating the car- 

 cases. This can never be completely answered, but there are 

 several theories which are well worth considering, as they 

 throw a certain amount of light on the reason for the bird's 

 change of diet. 



1. The " Veyetable Sheep'' Theory.— This is certainly the 

 most popular, though it has very little to recommend it. The 

 supporters of this theory suppose that the kea had been in 

 the habit of tearing open the "vegetable sheep" {Haastia 

 pulvinaris and Raoulia eximia) in search of grubs, which are 

 supposed to live in these peculiar plants. They are found 

 especially in the northern half of the Middle Island, at an alti- 

 tude of from 4,600 ft. to 6,000 ft., and in external appearance 

 they somewhat resemble a sheep, growing as they do in the 

 form of cushions, often as large as sofas, and the whole sur- 

 face having a woolly appearance. It is supposed that when the 



