120 



THE KEA. 



The damage done by the nefarious birds is sometimes 

 very serious, and often large numbers of dead sheep, 

 showing the Kea scar, testify to the seriousness of the 

 menace. However, very rash statements are made by many 

 writers and musterers, and it is never clear whether the 

 percentage is on one flock, one run, or the whole 

 Kea-infested country. 



Again, one is never certain whether the killing was 

 continued throughout the year or confined to one occasion only ; 



KEA COUNTRY : Clinton Valley, looking down fkom McKinnon Pass. 



and consequently many erroneous and often exaggerated 

 statistics have been quoted from time to time. 



If the Kea killed sheep all through the year at the rate 

 that it does on certain occasions, or if the Keas in all parts 

 of the Kea country were equally troublesome, then the loss 

 would be so severe that sheep-owners would be afraid of 

 stocking that part of the country with sheep. 



Fortunately, however, this is not the case, for the Keas 



