THE KARA PARROT. 



321 



the skin and flesh, devouring it piecemeal, after the manner of a Hawk; or at other times holding 

 the object down with one foot, and with the other grasping the portion it was eating, after the ordinary 

 fashion of Parrots." Dr. Buller also mentions instances of tame Parrots devouring their comrades in. 

 captivity; but the Kea is the only Parrot known to eat flesh when flying wild. 



THE KAKA PAEROT (Neuter mcridionalis}. 



This Parrot is best described by the above-named ornithologist in the work on the Birds of New 

 Zealand, to which frequent reference has been made in these pages : " Sprightly in its actions, 

 eminently social, and more 

 noisy than any other in- 

 habitant of the woods, the 

 Kaka holds a prominent 

 place among our native 

 birds. Being semi-noc- 

 turnal in its habits, it 

 generally remains quiet 

 and concealed during the 

 heat of the day. If, how- 

 ever, the sportsman should 

 happen to find a stray one, 

 and to wound instead of 

 killing it, its cries of dis- 

 tress will immediately 

 rouse the whole fraternity 

 from their slumbers, and 

 all the Kakas within 

 hearing will come to the 

 rescue, and make the 

 forest echo with their dis- 

 cordant screams. Unless, 

 however, disturbed by 

 some exciting cause of 

 this sort, they remain in 

 close cover till the ap- 

 proach of the cooler hours. 

 Then they come forth with 

 noisy clamour, and may be 

 seen, far above the ti*ee- 

 tops, winging their way 

 to some favourite feeding- 

 place; or they may be 

 observed climbing up the KAKA PAWM)T .. 



rough vine-clad boles of 



the trees, freely using their powerful mandibles, and assuming every variety of attitude, or diligently 

 tearing open the dead roots of the close epiphytic vegetation in their eager search for insects and 

 their larvae. In the spring and summer, when the woods are full of wild blossom and berry, these 

 birds have a prodigality of food, and may be seen alternately filling their crops with a variety of juicy 

 berries, or sucking nectar from the crimson flowers of the rata (Melrosideros robusta] by means of their 

 brash-fringed tongues. "With the earliest streaks of dawn, and while the underwoods are still wrapped 

 in darkness, the wild cry of this bird breaks upon the ear with a strange effect. It is the sound that 

 wakes the weary traveller encamped in the bush ; and the announcement of his ever active Maori 

 attendant ' Kua tangi te Kaka' is an intimation that it is time to be active. But although 

 habitually recluse during the day, it is not always so. 



