102 THE KEA. 



Kea would soon tumble off, no doubt thoroughly enjoying' 

 the novelty. 



In this way, by repeated failures, the bird would soon 

 acquire the knack of holding: on to a sheep while it was 

 running". 



Once on the back of a sheep, the bird would now want 

 some other novelty to amuse itself with, and the woolly 

 fleece would become the next object of investigation. 



Soon the flesh and fat would be reached ; and, the bird 

 finding these new morsels much to its taste, the art of 

 sheep-killing would soon be acquired. 



In this country the heavy snow storms often bury or 

 practically bury many sheep. The struggles of a half-buried 

 beast would soon attract the Kea ; and, finding the animal 

 an easy prey, it would soon begin its depredations. 



This theory has something in its favour, and no doubt 

 does to some extent account for the bird's change of 

 character. 



THE HUNGER THEORY. 



This one appears to me to explain to a larger extent the 

 cause of the Kea's downfall, and as food is a necessity the 

 fall was somewhat natural. 



There is a good deal of evidence to show that lack of 

 ordinary food greatly influenced the Kea towards sheep-killing. 



As the Kea feeds on berries, grubs, roots, etc., there is no 

 doubt that in winter and spring the excessive snow and 

 heavy frost, so prevalent in Kea country, must often make 

 the procuring of food very difficult. Again, as at this period 

 the eggs are sometimes laid, and perhaps the young ones have 

 to be fed, the lack of ordinary food must at times make 

 the bird desperate. 



If this did not in the first instance cause the parrot to 

 kill sheep, it seems now to affect the number killed, for 

 usually a severe winter, accompanied by heavy snow-falls, 

 means a heavy death toll levied on the flocks by Keas. 



The pastoral homesteads are scattered in the valleys of 

 the foot-hills. The Kea, wandering about in quest of 



