CHAPTER XIII. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



From the dark gorg-e where bm-ns the moruiiig- star, 



I hear the glacier river rattliug on 

 Aud sweeping o'er his ice-ploiighed shingle-bar, 



While wood-owls shout in sombre unison. 

 And flattering southern dancers glide aud go ; 

 And black swans' airy trumpets wildly, sweetly blow. 



—Anne Glknny Wilson. 



The area of the Kea's distribution is continuous, but very 

 limited. It is confined solely to the mountain country of the 

 South Island of New Zealand, which extends for 400 miles in 

 one direction and 80 miles in the other, making altogther an 

 area of some 40,000 square miles. 



Wherever there is mountainous country in the South 

 Island, with the exception of the Kaikoura Mountains in the 

 North East, the Kea can be found. 



It was first discovered by Mr. W. Mantell in 1856 in 

 the Murihuku district, which embraces practically all 

 Southland. It was a mra avi><, and some thought that it 

 was confined to Southland. However, as soon as men pierced 

 the mountain fastnesses that run up the west coast of the 

 island, its distribution was found to be much wider. A few 

 years after its discovery others were found, not only in 

 Southland and Otago, but in Canterbury as far north as the 

 Rangitata Gorge, about 200 miles north from where it was 

 first seen. In 1859 Sir Julius von Haast saw it in the 

 Mount Cook region, and a year later Sir W. Buller found it 

 in the Rangitata Gorge. 



As early as 1862 Sir James Hector noticed it in most of 

 the snow mountains of Otago, during his Geological Survey 

 of that province, and in the same year Sir Julius von Haast 

 saw one on the Godley Glacier. In 1865 Sir Julius found it 

 a long way above its supposed limit, — around Browning's 



