CHAPTER V. 



AT PLAY. 



Living', real, alert for charui or evil, 

 Hurryiug' in every breeze,— ami hauntiug', 

 Heavy-winged, tbe vistas of the forest. 



— Arthur H. Adams. 



The Kea may be a marked bird throughout the whole 

 Dominion ; it may ravage the flocks and bring dismay to 

 the sheep farmer ; but for all this there can be no gainsaying 

 the fact that it is a most lively and interesting companion. 

 In places where it has not been too much harassed by the Kea- 

 hunter it shows little fear of man, and the traveller can 

 always depend on an hour or two of amusement whenever 

 the bird appears. When one is camping out among the 

 ranges, the birds often come round and amuse themselves 

 at the traveller's expense. They seem to take the whole 

 oversight of the preparations for camp ; they investigate the 

 camp fire ; they pull the cooking utensils about ; they test 

 the strength of the tent ropes ; and, if not driven away, they 

 will scatter the contents of the "swag" far and wide. 



Indeed, you can never suffer from ennui while they 

 remain with you ; for, while you are driving one away from 

 your tent, another will be trying his beak on the coat that 

 you have hung up on a tree for safety. With their merry eyes, 

 and their shining coats, their perky ways, and their tameness 

 and extreme inquisitiveness, they are welcome and unwelcome 

 at the same time. 



The Kea is one of the most inquisitive birds imaginable, 

 and, indeed, it is this trait in his character that has partly 

 brought about his downfall. 



Keas make a loud din when together ; and, when one is 

 camping out, their incessant screeching and calling are a 



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