132 THE KEA. 



of Keas will be found lying' on or around the dead body. 



One Kea-hunter says: — "Another camp where the Keas 

 used to kill was very high up, in a rough place which was 

 almost inaccessible at night. I shot what Keas I could find 

 about in the day time, but never the right one, for the 

 killing- still continued. I half skinned a sheep they had 

 killed in the camp, and put strychnine in it. When I came 

 back in a few days I found five dead Keas. That ended the 

 killing of the sheep in that camp." 



From North Otago, where the Keas are still plentiful, 

 comes the following account : — " We then baited three of the 

 sheep carcases with strychnine, and sent a man out to camp 

 on the spur. He picked up eight poisoned Keas, two of 

 which were actually on top of the carcase, as well as 

 shooting twenty more of the birds." 



The poisoning has this advantage, that, if it does not 

 always poison the Keas that kill the sheep, it at least kills 

 those who gather round to share the spoil. 



But this method, though very effective, has its 

 disadvantages, for the poisoned carcase may remain for 

 months and be a continual menace to all sheep-dogs passing 

 that way. Shepherds are continually travelling up and down 

 the country accompanied by numerous sheep-dogs, which 

 owing to their splendid training are invaluable in the rough 

 country. It is almost impossible to keep them always in 

 sight; and, as they seem to be ever hungry, unless great 

 care is taken they get at the poisoned carcase. In this way 

 a shepherd, in attempting to rid his station of Keas, may 

 lose more by the death of his dog than he has through the 

 ravages of the birds all the winter. Therefore poisoning has 

 to be done with great care ; and, rather than leave the 

 carcase to rot, it is often finally burnt and the remains are buried. 



Even since suspicion fell on the Kea he has been legally 

 branded as an outlaw. No game laws protect him. He knows 

 not the peace of a close season. Regarded as having his beak 

 against every man, every man's hand has been against him. 



Unfortunately, no full record has been kept of the numbers 

 killed, but the following statistics will give some idea of the 



