42 



THE KEA. 



climate and press upward almost to the snow-line of our 

 alpine giants. To these food resources may be added insects 

 found in the crevices of rocks, beneath the bark of trees, etc. 

 A correspondent, in a letter to me on the subject, says: 

 "The Kea eats all the grasses to be found in mountainous 

 country, and besides eating the tender shoots it is particularly 

 fond of the grain or seeds of the blue grass. It turns over 

 the ^ stones and gets the larvje of the ants, and also eats 

 worms, grasshoppers, grubs and beetles." 



MOUNTAIN LILIES (Hanunciilus Lyallii) and CELMISIAS : The roots 



OF THESE PLANTS FORM PART OP THE KeA'S FOOD SUPPLY. 



When the snow covers the sub-alpine shrubs, and insect 

 life is dormant, the Kea is forced to go lower and lower 

 down the mountain to take shelter in gullies, where it feeds 

 on the hard, bitter seeds of kowhai fiSupJioru teinqderaj, 

 small hard seeds in the fruit of Pittosporiuv, the black 

 berries of Aristotvlut frudicosa, (the native currant), as well 

 as on the fruit of the pitch pine {Ducri/i/ima hifunne?) and the 

 totara {Pvili>rnrpus iotara.). 



Mr. Huddlestone gives its bill of fare as follows : — 



