TIME OF ATTACK. 115 



ordinary food is more plentiful ; the birds kill fewer sheep, 

 and they do not become a menace again until the middle of 

 the summer. 



This summer trouble may be accounted for by the fact 

 that at this season most of the snow on the lower slopes has 

 been melted ; and the sheep, keeping to their usual habit of 

 making for the sky line, soon find themselves among the 

 Keas. The birds' opportunity is intensified by the fact that 

 every night the sheep return when possible to particular 

 places on the mountain side to sleep. These are termed 

 "camps," and here the murderers are sure of finding a large 

 supply of animals on which to experiment. 



Their attacks, however, are not altogether confined to any 

 special time, for they have been known to attack sheep at 

 all seasons of the year. Still, from what I can gather, 

 autumn seems to be the time of fewest attacks. No doubt 

 the plentiful food supply, and perhaps the fact that the 

 sheep have been shorn, thus giving the birds a poor hold on 

 the animals' backs, account for this. 



All my correspondents agree that the favourite times of 

 the day for the bird to commit its depredations are the 

 early morning and the evening ; for, like its cousin, the 

 Kaka, whether killing sheep or not, it is always lively at 

 these times. 



For this reason it is difficult to obtain photographs of the 

 birds actually attacking sheep, for the lack of light and the 

 absence of the shepherd at these times makes the chance of 

 obtaining a snap-shot extremely small. They have been 

 known to attack at all hours of the day ; but they seem to 

 confine most of the work to the early or late hours. 



When attacking in the middle of the day it is nearly 

 always in dull or foggy weather, though rare cases are known 

 ■of their killing sheep even in bright sunshine. 



