138 THE KEA. 



There are two pieces of evidence entirely against this 

 unlikely proceedure. 



First, if the Keas had migrated, then they should have 

 become rare in Otago and Southland; but in fact they were 

 not very plentiful in the south until after 1868, and by this 

 time the Kea was recorded at Lochinvar, some three hundred 

 miles further north. 



Second, the reason given for the Kea's migration is 

 that the systematic slaughter in the early days drove them 

 north; but the whole idea falls to the ground when we 

 remember that, in 1867, a year before the bird was even 

 suspected of sheep killing, and so a year before the slaughter 

 of the bird began, the Kea was recorded from the Lochinvar 

 district, that is, the very country into which it was alleged 

 to have been driven by the aforesaid systematic slaughter. 



There is however, a lot of sound evidence to show that 

 the Keas' area of distribution is widening. This widening is 

 due, as far as I can ascertain, to the great increase in their 

 numbers ; for, though their numbers have been thinned by 

 forty years of continuous slaughter, they are still numerous 

 in many parts. 



It was noticed that, soon after the birds began to kill 

 sheep and eat them, their numbers increased so that where 

 they had been seen in tens they could be seen in fifties. 

 Many sheep owners put this down to the plentiful supply 

 of food obtained from the dead animals. 



This would appear at first sight to show that all Keas 

 killed sheep; but I have already, I hope, made clear that 

 only a comparative few do the killing, though the rest may 

 join in the feast. 



This increase has naturally caused the Keas' area of 

 distribution to expand ; and now, instead of confining them- 

 selves to the main ranges, they come down even as far as 

 the foot hills on the east and the sea coast on the west. 

 The latter limit is supported by the fact that they have 

 been seen at Koiterangi, near Hokitika, and at Mahitahi, near 

 Bruce Bay ; while in June of 1906 Captain Bollons, of the 



