96 THE KEA. 



and deeper in places. On reaching the summit of what we 

 called the main top we came across a mob of sheep more or 

 less snowed in. These we dug out of the snow, and, having 

 let them roll down the hill as far as they would, we went 

 further up the spur to see how many more we could find. After 

 a short climb we came across a mob of fifty, also snowed in, and 

 here I caught the Keas in the act of murdering. The birds had 

 already killed three, and several others were dying. The dead 

 ones were very much torn about, and what especially attracted 

 my attention was the way in which the small gut was pulled 

 out through the flank and stretched yards away. There were 

 fully a dozen Keas attacking the mob around the hole, and the 

 place was literally stained with blood, no doubt from the Keas' 

 blood-stained feet. The birds seemed thoroughly to enjoy killing 

 sheep, and were very bold. I was up to my waist in snow 

 alongside the sheep, and when I was standing still the Keas 

 would come boldly up to me to within five feet. After we had 

 driven the Keas off they flew almost straight to the first mob, 

 and, according to my mates, who went back for the first mob, 

 attacked those sheep in a similar way." 



