82 MUTTON BIRDS 



In the autumn the Kaka has also a " chock, 

 chock, chock" not unlike the encouragement 

 given by a rider to a sluggish horse. 



Next morning, for the third time, I had diffi- 

 culty in bringing down the female. Not only 

 did she remain utterly unmoved by my singing, 

 shouting, and yelling, but the mug jangling had 

 also palled. They were sounds stale to herself; 

 she knew, moreover, that they were harmless to 

 the family. Again, therefore, I had to extemp- 

 porize a lure, and this time it had to be one of 

 the nestlings. The same flax line was used, but 

 stripped at one extremity of its green integu- 

 ment, and only the strong white fibre left. This, 

 by rubbing in my hands, was worked as soft and 

 pliable as silk. It was then attached to the 

 larger nestling's leg so that at each snatch the 

 disturbed youngster sung out; thus again I got 

 exposures, and, what was more interesting, 

 began to get an inkling of the parent bird's 

 intelligence. In fact, during this day and after- 

 wards she began to lose all fear. Perched within 

 two feet of my arms she would watch me in her 

 inquisitive, parrot manner; then with an easy 

 hop or silent flight would peer into the gloom 

 of the nest, her head first on one side and then 

 on the other and appear to be watching the 

 agitations and tremors of the flax line. 



During the last day of our acquaintance I am 

 sure she knew that in some wonderful way, I, 

 although fifteen feet distant, was somehow or 

 other disturbing her children. She had, in fact, 

 worked out cause and effect; just as the ranging 

 dog, who notices beside him a small stone in 

 motion, smells it, looks back at the master who 

 has flung it, and presently returns to heel. 



