128 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



the larvse of wood-boring insects, but it also eats carrion, 

 and has developed, within .comparatively recent times, 

 the 1 objectionable practice, when driven by hunger dur- 

 ing the winter, of attacking sheep, tearing them open so 

 as to get at the fat about the kidneys. As to the 

 amount of mischief done in the destruction of sheep by 

 this Hawk-like Parrot there has been much discussion ; 

 but that sheep-owners have a genuine case against the 

 bird can no longer be called ini question since the publica- 

 tion of Mr. Geoxge R. Marriner's article, read before the 

 Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, N.Z., in 1906, in 

 which lie describes the method of attack : " A Kea will 

 settle on the ground amongst the sheep, and after hop- 

 ping round one of the animals will jump on to its back 

 and' commence to tear away the wool. The sheep be- 

 comes frightened, and dashes away, but the Kea, holds 

 on tightly, or releases its hold only to fly after the 

 animal and settle again immediately the sheep thinks it 

 Jia-s shaken off its enemy. 



" Having torn off the wool the Kea commences to dig 

 its *harp bill into the flesh of the animal, which after 

 rushing about frantically for some time generally lies 

 down with neck stretched out in a helpless condition, 

 when the Kea, which by this time has probably been 

 joined by several others, continues to tear away the 

 flesh and greedily devour the fait. The attack is gener- 

 ally made in the early morning or late evening, or on 

 foggy days, and only those flooks which are kept in the 

 mountainous districts, where the Keas have their home, 

 are in danger from these birds." (cf. The Avicultural 

 Magazine, Second Series, Vol. V. , p. 76.) 



Because this Parrot has acquired the above abomin- 

 able habit there seems no rea-son why in captivity, where 

 more natural food' can be supplied , it should be provided 

 witih mutton chops as part of its daily diet, as has (I am 

 told) sometimes been done. 



In The WeeUy Press, Christchurch, N.Z., for Feb. 

 26. 1908, Mr. Edgar F. Stead has published an account 

 of his experiences in trapping the Kea, which has been 

 reprinted in The Avicultural Magazine, Second Series, 

 Vol. VI., pp. 281-286. In this article he describes a 

 nest which he found as follows : "We heard the female 

 call away down in the bottom of a big rock slip, and 

 I caught a glimpse of her as she moved. Hurrying to 

 the spot, we found a lot of loose feathers and droppings, 

 which indicated the presence of a nest. We soon located 

 it, in a long hole, the entrance of which was formed by 

 two enormous boulders, which leaned one against 

 the other, forming a triangular space, partly 

 blocked by a third stone. This latter we removed by 

 using a thick vine as a rope, and after much scratching 

 and scraping I reached in, and, striking a match, saw 

 the bird on her nest. More scraping and digging among 

 the small stones and earth, and then I reached in, but 

 quickly withdrew my hand, minus 1 a small piece of the 

 middle finger. I then wrapped a handkerchief round my 

 hand, and very soon had the bird out. I handed her 

 to Mr. Murchison to hold, and she immediately took a 

 piece out of his coat and clawed him pretty thoroughly, 

 but my attention was on the nest, and to my joy I 

 found four pure w^hite eggs. They Avere laid on the 

 ground' among a few chips of rotten wood and bark, 

 about 5ft. from the entrance of the hole." 



The first specimen of this bird to reach the London 

 Zoological Gardens was presented in 1872 by the 

 Acclimatisation Society of Canterbury, N.Z. Since that 

 date many specimens have been exhibited in our 

 Gardens, the last two mentioned in the ninth edition of 

 th Society's List having been presented in 1892. In 

 1882 Miss Hagenbeck exhibited one at a bird show in 



Berlin ; but it seems to have been always rare in the 

 German market, whereas in England several private 

 aviculturists have possessed it.* 



COMMON KA-KA (Nestor meridionalis) f 



Above olive-brown with dark brown margins ; feathers 

 of neck tipped with three semicircles dull red, orange, 

 and brown; wing and tail-feathers olive, paler at margins 

 and tips ; inner webs of flights dentated with pale salmon- 

 red ; rump and upper tail-coverts dark red ; tail-feathers 

 dentated with red on inner webs ; crown, nape, cheeks, 

 and throat hoary bordered with brown, the former 

 slightly tinged with bluish, and the feathers at (base of 

 bill washed with red ; ear-coverts streaked with dull 

 orange and brown ; breast olive, each feather with, a 

 narrow subterminal brown crescent followed by a 

 reddish-orange one; abdomen and under tail-coverts 

 dark red ; under wing-coverts scarlet, crossed by narrow 

 black bands ; bill dark bluish-grey ; feet bluish-grey, the 

 soles yellowish-brown ; irides dark brown. Female with 

 much smaller beak, the terminal hook less curved. 

 Hab., New Zealand. 



According to Julius Haast (cf. Gould, " Handbook to 

 the Birds of Australia," Vol. II., p. 549) "The noisy 

 Ka-ka plays a conspicuous role in the forest. It is a 

 gregarious bird, perching generally on the highest trees, 

 but, as soon as the assembled flock hear a noise un- 

 known to them, they approach and amuse the traveller 

 by their various quarrelsome notes and shrieks. If in 

 .shooting at them one only be wounded so that it may be 

 secured, it is an easy matter to sliooit one after the 

 other, as they always come back when they hear the 

 cry of a wounded companion." 



" If surprised by a dog the Ka-ka becomes a respect- 

 able opponent, for with outstretched wings he throws 

 himself on his back, and defends himself stoutly with 

 bill and claws." 



Mr. W. W. Smith (The Ibis, 1893. p. 514) says that 

 the stately and melliferous flowers of the flax yield a 

 rich supply of food to the Ka-ka Parrot (Nestor 

 meridionalis) in the summer months. "It is very 

 interesting to watch these birds flying from flower to 

 flower and licking up the nectar with their brush-like 

 tongues." 



Mr. Richard Henry, of Resolution Island, savs (cf. 

 The Ibis, 1905, pp. 581-582: "I have often found 

 nests of the Ka-ka Parrot in holloAv trees, not far from 

 the ground. There axe generally four pure white 

 but I think the parents seldom rear more than two 

 young ones. Sometimes they have young ones in 

 November and sometimes in April. I do not knoAv Avhich 

 is their favourite breeding season. 



" Their staple food consists of grubs (which they cut 

 out of partly decayed timber) varied with berries, and 

 with honey which 'they lick out of the Rata-blo&som in 

 Fiimmer, and kernels of Miro-stones in autumn. 



" They cut grubs out of a withering Panax in such 

 a way that it shews they must have reasoning powers, 

 and a distinct knowledge of the relationship between 

 cause and effect. I have often tried to find the grub 

 that Avas killing the branch, but I usually have to do 

 twice as much cutting as a Ka-ka could do Avithout 

 finding it. 



" Last April I took two young ones as pets, and when 

 the parents saw me leaving the nest they went to it 

 at once, and, understanding that I had taken their 

 young, followed me down to the boat screaming their 

 loudest for assistance. This attracted all the Ka-kas 



* Mr F. \V. Frohawk eaye that hie bird enjoyed a big bath, 



after taking- which it looked " iSome'bhi.ng like thifi," and ho- 

 sends a sketch of a veritable scarecrow. 



