ON THE HABITS OF THE KEA. 291 
farmers. The time cannot be far distant when agricultural and 
pastoral associations will have to take cognisance of the mis- 
chievous influence of this savage bird on an important industry 
that promotes the useful occupation of a considerable tract of 
country. 
Through the kind offices of Mr. Robert Wilkin, the writer 
has been greatly assisted with valuable information acquired 
from notes contributed by sheep-farmers, owners of stations, and 
shepherds on many runs in the southern alpine country. Amongst 
these Messrs. Thomson, A. M. Clarke, McCallum, Crisp, F. 
Andrew, and McColl have supplied communications of great 
interest; their experience on the subject extends over many 
years; they possess an intimate knowledge of a wide stretch of 
mountainous land, including the grand and picturesque scenery 
of the lake district, Te Anau, Wakatipu, Mararoa, Mount Pisa, 
Motatapu, Overshot, Motukuku, Matukituki, Mount Aspiring, to 
Ben Ohou, &. The Kea (or Kaieo) is the name as spelt by 
some shepherds and flockmasters, and which word perhaps 
should be used, as it has been adopted by many of those who 
from the nature of their employment are most likely to take the 
greater amount of interest in the bird and its mode of life. 
The Kea was first made known to science as early as 1856 by 
the Hon. W. B. Mantell, from specimens which were obtained 
from the southern alpine country, and the late Mr. Gould 
described the species under the name of Nestor notabilis. A few 
years later, another good example, astray from the higher ranges, 
was procured at a sheep ‘station on the Orari, in South Canter- 
bury; the fame of this rara avis spread through the province ; 
soon afterwards skins were got from the back-country sheep-runs, 
and in a short time museums were enabled to enumerate “the 
green parrot” as one of the choice and rarer articles in their 
traffic of exchanges. 
In order to convey a correct impression of the Kea and its 
habits, it is necessary to give a brief outline of the features of 
the country in which it is to be found. We have most frequently 
observed it above the gorge of the Rangitata, one of the 
great snow-rivers, as they are termed. This stream, which 
derives its source from the glaciers which are embedded in the 
gloomy and secluded fastnesses of the Southern Alps, is periodi- 
cally swollen by the melting of the snow, and by the heavy rain 
