88 THE KEA. 



first gave a jump or two, and then made down hill at a 

 great rate. When the sheep got into motion, the bird 

 spread out its wings, and, as the pace became faster, the 

 wings came together at the perpendicular. The sheep 

 continued its race until both were lost to view, after going 

 some distance through the storm." 



These blind rushes often end even more tragically. The 

 sheep in its blind rush often comes to a precipice, and, with 

 the same impulse that brought it so far, it leaps over the 

 edge and is dashed to pieces on the ground below. In this 

 case the Kea leaves its hold as soon as the sheep begins to 

 fall, but follows the unfortunate animal in the descent to 

 satisfy its hunger on the result of its labours. 



Mr. Robert Guthrie, of Canterbury, who has spent a 

 large number of years in Kea country, gives the following 

 graphic description of Keas attacking the sheep at their 

 nightly camps: — "At last one clear night, when there was 

 about half a moon, I made my way up to the sheep camp. 

 After a good deal of trouble, I got into a crevice in a rock 

 that I had selected in daylight, within twenty feet of the 

 nearest sheep, and without disturbing them. I lay there for 

 some hours and, just two or three minutes before the moon 

 went down, fifteen Keas alighted, within ten feet of where I 

 was lying, as silent as spectres. They immediately became 

 exceedingly active, running about and picking at this and that 

 amongst the sheep, jumping on and off the sheeps' backs, the 

 sheep not taking the slightest notice of them. All at once 

 the moon left me, and I could see no more. I waited for 

 more than an hour longer, and during that time there were a 

 few commotions among the sheep, but not a sound from the 

 Keas. I got one dead sheep next day. The next night I was 

 again in my place in the rocks, and had only a few minutes to 

 wait, when the fifteen Keas lit again, as silently as on the night 

 before. They again scattered round the camp, and seemed to 

 be exceedingly busy and active, running to and fro, picking 

 at this and that. It seemed to me that they were after 

 small grubs that are usually found about a sheep camp. 

 They eventually began jumping on the sheeps' backs and 



