THE KEA'S WINTERING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 273, 11 August 1908, Page 7

THE KEA'S WINTERING.

WHAT A SHEPHERD DISCOVERED. (BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT), Christchurch, August 10.

Mr. R. Guthrie, of liurke's Pass, who has had a good deal of experience of tho koa, in reply to a query as to what became or theso birds during great snows such as now cover tho Alpine regions, related an experience which supplied an answer (says tho Timaru "Herald").

He was out looking after sheep on Mistake Station many years ago, during ■ a heavy snow, and when walking on tho frozen crust of snow on a hillside ;sank quite through a bed of snow,'and through the'tops of somo scrub on which tho smooth sheet of snow was lying. Tho snow was so thick that,' with tho tops of the scrub and tho snow, it was almost dark down there. Hearing somo odd. sounds ho struck a miitch to see what sort of companions 110 had fallen in with ( and there 110 saw several kens', busy, pecking .'in the ground, and further, away ho could, hoar otliors. Hero, then, was an explanation of tho wintering of the kens. Tho Alpino scrub is genorally pretty thick,: where there is any at all—thick enough to form a roof upon which tho snow can lie, and stiff enough to boar tho weight of it; and' beneath "the scrub and snow roof tho koas can consider tliemselycs very comfortably housed out of, reach of frost and gales, and with a larder under their feet. There may' not bo much in it, but enough to koopiheiii alive till tho snow disappears.