EARLY RECORDS. 77 



crime, had given to the world, as a substantiated fact, 

 a statement that had not been satisfactorily proved. 



If there is anything that ought to be most conclusively 

 proved it is a statement of alleged scientific fact, and as long 

 as investigators continue to publish, as true, half-proved 

 theories, only error and confusion can be the result. 



As might be expected from such unsatisfactory evidence, 

 later investigation does not always uphold the conclusions 

 so hastily reached by early writers. 



It is rather surprising to find that no one questioned the 

 weight of the evidence until 1905, when Dr. L. Cockayne, the 

 retiring President of the Canterbury Philosophical Institute, 

 while reading a paper "On some little known Country in the 

 Waimakariri District," made the following statement : — 



"I have never seen it [the Kea] attack sheep, nor have I 

 ever met with anyone, shepherd, musterer, or mountain 

 traveller, who has done so ; the most that my enquiries have 

 elicited is that sheep are found from time to time with holes 

 in their backs, and that Keas have been seen hovering round 

 sheep." 



A very warm discussion followed this rather unexpected 

 statement, for people had begun to believe that there could be 

 no doubt about the matter of the Kea killing sheep ; but, when 

 they found on enquiry that practically no authentic evidence 

 could be found among the records, they naturally became 

 very sceptical. 



Dr. Cockayne and his supporters did not, as many people 

 state, say that the Kea was innocent, but that at that time the 

 recorded evidence was quite insufficient to prove the bird's 

 guilt. 



Let us run through the most conclusive recorded evidence, 

 and see on what flimsy and unscientific reasons 'the bird's guilt 

 had been declared proved. 



About the year 1871, Mr. T. H. Potts condemned the Kea, 

 but on what appears to be hearsay evidence only. He writes 

 as follows :—" Through the kind oflfices of Mr. Robt. Wilkin, 

 the writer has been greatly assisted with valuable notes, 

 acquired by sheep-farmers, owners of stations, shepherds^ 



