Marriner. — On the Natural liutory of the Kea. 293 



sheep on this spot. On another occasion, when taking hoggets 

 out in the spring, we put tliBin through a gate at dark. When 

 we went in the morning we found seven of the sheep dead, 

 about their camp. The' following iiight we shot eight keas 

 at this place, and, although we took out several mobs of sheep 

 the same way afterwards, no more weie killed." 



Mr. P. E. Challis, of Parawa, Southland, states that ho has 

 seen nineteen sheep attacked in one evening. 



Mr. A. Watherston reports that one evening he found some 

 keas attacking the sheep, and eight of them were killed. .On 

 going out at daybreak next morning he found that during the 

 night thirty-eight had been killed, and the keas were still at- 

 tacking them. The carcast-s of the sheep w^ere in most cases 

 still warm ; and out of about sixteen hundred f^heep about 

 three hundred were killed. This loss works out to about 18 per 

 cent, for the mnter. 



Mr. W. N. Ford says that around Lake Wanaka the losses 

 in the year are about 26 per cent, of the sheep, and about half 

 of these are put down to the keas. 



If the birds always kill on an average twenty or thirty a 

 night the loss would be trejnendous, but it seems that they make 

 special raids, and then ai'e quiet for some time. Many of the 

 keas must either kill for the bve of killing, or else to have a 

 number of dead sheep on which to feed for some time. iVIany 

 are killed and left almost untouched. However, from evidence, 

 it seems that they come back afterwards and feed on them 

 until the carcases are devoured. 



In most of the kea -infested country the annual damage 

 is. I should say, well under 5 per cent. A few stations may 

 lose as much as 10 per cent., and I doubt if any station loses 

 as high as 20 per cent. 



Attacking other Animals. 



Though the sheep are the favourite animals for the kea 

 to attack, they do not seem to confine themselves to them alone, 

 for I have instances sent me where they have attacked horses, 

 dogs, and rabbits. 



Mr. Guthrie gives the following account of an attack on 

 a horse : " The pack-horse was tethered on a piece of flat 

 ground about 10 chains from the camp. After we had tea T 

 strolled over to where there was a large flock of keas, on a little 

 knoll above the pack-horse. This would be about an hour 

 before dusk. One or two 'flew down on to the horse's back. 

 He was an old, stifE-built cobby horse of a very sluggish nature. 

 He took no notice of the keas when they flew on and off his 

 back for some time, giving him an occasional peck. At last 



