36 



THE KEA. 



Though the mountains in the South Island are high, 

 ranging from five to thirteen thousand feet, and though in 

 winter they are covered with a thick coating of snow, yet in 

 summer, owing to the warm winds and rain from the north 

 west, much of their snow is melted. It is, therefore, only 



THE KEA : On the look out. 



on the main dividing range and several other more or less 



isolated peaks that much snow can be found ; and this is 



often confined to the greater heights. Again, if the Kea 



lives far up above the dwarf vegetation, how is it to subsist V 



