A CURIOUS FACT IN NATURAL HISTORY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4870, 26 September 1877, Page 7

A CURIOUS FACT IN NATURAL HISTORY.

Itis nowiiome years since a statement appeared in the columns of this journal, in which attention was drawn for. the first time, we believe, to a curious fact in natural history namely, the flesh-eating-propensities of the kea' or mountain parrot—a bird which is only to be found in the alpine districts of the West Coast of this island The shepherds on the station of l\A J? ell ry c»mPbell, Lake Wanaka, reported that during tbe winter season the keas made' theirappearance in numbers,' and attacked and killed living sheep....Subsequent observation proved the. correctness of their statements. Ihe birds would single out a sheep, atd perching on its back, tear at the loin with their beaks. The sheep, harrassed by its numerous enemies, soon became exhausted in its efforts to free itself from them, ahd succumbed. The keas then were not long in clearing-the carcase. at B' ,Uer > in his " History of the Birds of New Zealand," quotes the statement we have referred to at length, and proceeds to veri^v it from other evidence he had procured from settlers in the far interior. In further corrobo ration of this recently acquired habit of the kea, we havo had placed at our disposal a letter written by a runholder reside in the Lake District of this Province, and as it will prove of interest to many of our readers we give the following extract:—"ln Hooker's .Mora it is said that the ground, parrot, by which I think the kea is meant, feeds on Gaultheria rupestris, the fruit of which plant £ c!? gi the suowberry. I have had the birds m the garden, and used to cover them with a box at night. . In!thei morniog we would find that they had dv?. a hole in the ground; In'fact,-their beak is a splendid pick. In digging the ground they have probably been hunting for grubs, of-which they are very fond. Iheywil! eat bread or fat, or pick a bone. Most of the damage committed by the birds is done when the winter comes on^ and during the same season. By burning.we must have destroyed much of their food, and the frost would make it much harder forthem to dig for the other part of their subsistence—grubs. iThey are very destructive to the thatch of the mountain huts, or. to oppssum rugs or sheepskins. In fact, itis from tearing these latter articles that they have learned their destructive habits, .in. probably finding ori the sheepskins pieces of fat. Ypu see here is a fact tor' Darwin. At times, in,.th6 beginning, of the. winter, they will come so near that the shepherds frequently succeed in. knocking them down', with a stick. Just now, they are breeding, which they do iri holes in the. rocks, and the entrances to the holes are quite pattered with their feet. Keas, which have been killed at this season,: have boen found gorged with carrion from dead sheep, and they are supposed to disgorge it for their youug. Of course, this statement may or may not be true, but this being the time of bteedinsr, at least it is likely., At present, tliey are very shy^ and requite folding up to shoot them. They were first heard of at the Wanaka as being, destructive. One year, I estimate that I lost 500 sheep by these birds. Once, one of my men was getting; some sheep out of the snow, over Which the keas were: keeping guard. The man. had got out two, and was intent' in digging out the others, when,,on looking round, he found that the keas had already torn away the flesh to the kidneys in search for the fat. At another time, they, have beem seen to disembowel a sheep ss quickly as any dog could have done." lhe writer is in error in assuming that the bird he describes is the!, ground parrot, which is better known as the. kakano. ..His friend or rather enemy, is styled by Buller JVcstor. nola-' bilis, or the mountain parrot.