THE KAKA 143 



to clear the papillfe by the pressure of the tongue against the 

 lower mandible. The upper and lower mandibles are connected 

 by a thin tough skin, which allows the beak to open widely, 

 and gives great freedom to the movements of the lower mandible. 

 About the middle of this skin, in a line with the gape, there is a 

 hollow sac, or pouch, containing a wax-like substance. 



Mr. W. T. L. Travers, in his observations of the kaka, was 

 struck with its inquisitiveness and absolute fearlessness. On his 

 cattle station at Lake Guyon, in the Nelson province, he has seen 

 several kakas gravely take post upon some tree close to him, 

 eyeing him with the utmost apparent curiosity, and chattering. to 

 themselves, as if discussing the character and intentions of the 

 intruder. After a lapse of a few minutes they have darted away, 

 uttering loud cries, as if proclaiming to the rest of the forest the 

 presence of a stranger, to be avoided or not, as the case might be. 

 During the winter, the birds often unhesitatingly entered the 

 house for food, making themselves thoroughly at home, and even 

 roosting on the cross-beams in the kitchen on specially inclement 

 nights. Two of them in particular soon learnt how to open the 

 door of the dairy, which they were fond of getting into, in order 

 to regale themselves on cream and butter, both of which they 

 appeared to appreciate excessivelj'. 



i\Ir. Travers had several of these birds billing on the eaves of 

 the house in the evening, waiting to be fed, and coming readily 

 to receive from the hand pieces of bread thickly spread with 

 butter, and strewn with sugar. But they rarely accepted any of 

 the bread, dropping it as soon as they had cleared off the butter 

 and sugar. If one bird happened to have finished his portion 

 before the others, he unhesitatingly helped himself to a share of 

 some neighbour's goods, which was always yielded without the 

 slightest demur. 



They were fond of raw sheep, and he has seen them hovering in 

 front of a sheep's pluck hung on a tree, just as a humming bird 

 hovers in front of a flower, eating fragments which they had torn 

 off, giving the preference to the lungs. When anxious to get into 

 the house, they took up positions on the window-sills and beat at 

 the window with their beaks until they were admitted. They 



