130 THE KEA. 



The second general method is to shoot the birds while 

 they are feeding on the remains of a sheep. The men take 

 the bearings of some sheep that has been killed, and if 

 they cannot find a carcase they sometimes kill a beast and 

 then camp near it at night. Moonlight nights are generally 

 chosen, so that the birds can be seen at the body, and 

 usually a number of Keas fly down from the surrounding 

 peaks and begin to gorge themselves. The men do not shoot 

 them at once, but wait until the birds have stuffed 

 themselves with meat and fat. Then they are shot one after 

 the other, for they are too lazy and full to hasten away. 



One correspondent gives the following account: — "At 

 Makaroa Station in spring I was shooting Keas pretty well 

 every night when I carried a gun. I would hunt about for dead 

 carcases. If I came on a freshly-killed sheep, or one partly 

 eaten, I was always sure of a good haul. I would wait 

 about until the Keas came. Sometimes they would arrive in 

 mobs ; at other times in a straggling way. I would then 

 take up my position, a little distance off" the meat, and wait 

 until they got on to it to feed. My object was to line them so 

 as to get as many as I could at one shot. Though they would 

 fly off" at each shot, they would be back again almost 

 immediately. I would keep at them in this way until they got 

 a little frightened, then I would follow them up and shoot 

 them as I could. I think the largest number that 1 ever 

 got in that way was sixty-three off two dead sheep. I have at 

 other times got from twenty to fifty ; but often I would 

 only get about six or seven, and at other times none at 

 all." 



Mr. Robert Guthrie, an old Kea-hunter, thus describes his 

 experience in connection with one "camp," where the Keas 

 were very troublesome: — "The 'camp' was as usual high up; it 

 was situated on a large plateau, where it was impossible to get 

 near without disturbing the sheep and the Keas. I used to 

 wait till well on in the night, and go, as quietly as possible, 

 straight to the camp. The Keas, nine of them, were there 

 the first night. I got two of them, and they came fairly 

 regularly until I had got them all but one. This one was 



