44 



THE KEA. 



of politeness—not with avidity. He declines the honey out of 

 the white and crimson koromiko (^Veronica sp.j, but Mr. Xing' 

 [one of her Keas] used to love the flowers of V. ]mthi<ui<i and 

 ]'. Fairjh'/dii only next best to yellow kowhai, to which he 

 was as nearly devoted as to broad-leaf flowers. Even when no 

 flowers were out on the broad-leaf he could always be found 

 busy pecking at the bark of the branches, but I could 

 never find out what he got there. He disliked flve-fingered 

 Jack in seed, but patronised the flowers, and was fond of 

 nipping off branches of it. There is a tall umbrella tree, with 

 Parsoiisid climbing over it, up which he often spent a very 

 busy hour or two in spring-, though I can't say what he 



^^M 





MAORI ONION iBidbenifcra up.) 



was sucking. He never cared to go up at any other season. 

 Cabbage trees (CordyUne). matipos (Fittosporam), birches, 

 rangioras fBdchydlotth ranyiomj, miki-miki (Cyathodrs (icrrosaj, 

 and New Zealand holly (Olearia UicifoUa) were never interfered 

 with, nor was Lilwrtia grandiflora, but he always made a dart for 

 the mountain lily ( Ranuncuhis LyaUii ) and daisies rCelmisia 

 sp.j, roots as soon as ever he was out of his cage. Mr King 

 never interfered with the English trees except one oak, and 

 he never could resist cherry trees when the fruit was ripe. 

 Lettuces ranked next in favour to dandelion (Tara.nu-vm 

 oficinaJIs) roots, of which he was very fond, I think because 

 thev reminded him of Maori onions (liidhenifera spj. as he 



