THE KIDNEY THEORY. Ill 



The stout grasping feet, made for holding on to rocks and 

 trees, were naturally fitted for holding on to a sheep's back ; 

 and the powerful beak, used for grubbing in the earth or 

 tearing off the bark of trees, was admirably fitted for tearing 

 off the flesh of sheep. 



Therefore, being, as it were, naturally adapted for such 

 attack, it is not so very strange that the Kea, having been 

 forced into a new way of procuring food, soon developed 

 into a bird of prey. 



There is an interesting point mentioned by Professor 

 Benham, in a paper on the Kea, published in the "Transactions 

 of the New Zealand Institute, 1906." 



HUMERUS OF SHEEP, said to have been split open by Keas. 



Quoting from a correspondent's paper he says: — "There is 

 another matter I would like to point out to you about Keas ; 

 when they have eaten all the flesh oflf the bone then they 

 tackle the shoulder (i.e., humerus) and leg bone and take 

 all the marrow out of them by chipping them with their 

 beaks until they obtain an entrance. I am sending you four 

 shoulder bones, some old and some fresh ones killed last 

 year." 



Professor Benham kindly gave me one of the bones, 

 which I have here figured, and also lent me the correspondent's 

 letter. 



