THE STORY OF THE KEA 261 



very clearly and comparatively quite close, 

 though unfortunately I was powerless to inter- 

 fere till too late. I was bringing a large mob 

 of sheep from the mountain down a very narrow 

 ridge with precipitous sides when I noticed 

 about 100 yards ahead a small flock or covey 

 of keas, about six or seven (they are generally 

 seen in lots of from five to twelve) in a state of 

 great excitement, squalling and flying round 

 and up and down just above the sheep. The 

 sheep took no notice of them, and presently I 

 saw that the parrots were confining their atten- 

 tions to two particular animals. Two birds at 

 a time would alight on the back of each sheep 

 and grub away hard with their beaks, other 

 birds would attack the first pair, and a conflict 

 and scrimmage would ensue ; then the pair of 

 butchers would be left alone for a bit, and then 

 the process was repeated. The strange thing 

 is that the sheep did not appear to mind the 

 attack or suffer much. They would give a 

 little start forward now and then, or stop and 

 shake, but otherwise they walked quietly along. 

 I could do nothing to help them, as, from the 

 nature of the ground, to have shouted, thrown 

 a stone, or sent forward a dog would have 

 probably sacrificed the lives of all, or certainly 

 of many hundreds of the sheep, but as soon as 



