THE STORY OF THE KEA 257 



Opinions naturally varied as to how this 

 extraordinary change had first arisen. One 

 theory was that the birds had come across the 

 newly-flayed skins at the slaughtering-places, 

 and had thus been introduced to raw flesh; 

 another, that they had been innocently searching 

 for ticks or other insects in the sheeps' wool, 

 and had accidentally broken the skin, with the 

 like result. I recently questioned Mr. Alex- 

 ander F. G. Brown, one of the survivors of the 

 enterprising pioneers of the higher ranges of 

 the South Island. The following is the clear 

 and vivid record of his experiences and re- 

 collections : 



' As to the name, it is of course Maori and 

 onomatopoeic, the cry of the bird varying from 

 " Kee-ah " to " Kay-oh." I have heard Maoris 

 use both of these sounds in naming it, but 

 chiefly the former. To the question, Is it a 

 ground parrot ? I should say certainly not, 

 though it might be called a rock or mountain 

 parrot, as its habitat is in the rocky spurs and 

 ridges of the mountains, at an altitude of from 

 5000 to 7000 feet above sea-level. Of course 

 these heights are approximate, and I can only 

 speak of Southern New Zealand where the 

 snow-line is roughly estimated at about 5000 

 feet above sea-level. I have never known or 



