260 APPENDIX 



alighting on the backs of sheep that had died 

 in the snow. Sheep that perish in snow almost 

 invariably die lying on their stomachs ; when 

 they die from other causes they fall on their 

 sides ; but as the sheep put to graze above the 

 snow-line were invariably all young and strong, 

 few if any deaths would occur among them 

 except those caused by snow. 



' It is easy to imagine that after alighting on 

 the dead animal's back, the inquisitive parrot 

 would commence turning over the wool as he 

 is supposed to turn over the soil in his search 

 for grubs. He finds a tick probably dead 

 with its head buried in the skin of the sheep ; 

 in extracting the tick the kea breaks the skin, 

 finds the taste good, or perhaps merely out of 

 curiosity burrows deeper, and so begins his new 

 habit. It is a mistake to suppose that the bird 

 goes only for the kidney and the fat thereof. 

 He eats all the meat from the loins and saddle 

 first, and the first-comer, who I take it is the 

 strongest and greediest bird, gets this; the last 

 bird gets the kidneys and fat when he burrows 

 so deep, which is not always the case by any 



means. 1 



4 I once saw the first part of this operation 



1 This occurred on a spur at the south-west corner of the 

 Takitimo Mountains. 



