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NESTING.
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The eggs, of which as many as four have been found in one nest, are naturally rare and difficult to obtain. They are about the size of the egg of a domestic pigeon, and in appearance are white, with rough shell and no markings.
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Kea eggs.
Through the kindness of Dr. B. Moorhouse, Christchurch, I am able to take notes from six eggs in his collection.
The results are given in the following table:—
| Length c.m. |
Breadth c.m. |
Long Circum. c.m. |
Broad Circum. c.m. |
||
| Rangitata Gorge | 4.8 | 4.0 | 14.5 | 11 | (maximum) |
| Rakaia Gorge A. | 4.2 | 3.4 | 11.5 | 10.5 | (minimum) |
| ” ” B. | 4.2 | 3.5 | 11.5 | 10.4 | |
| ” ” C. | 4.4 | 3.3 | 11.2 | 10.7 | |
| Mt. Cook A. | 4.5 | 3.4 | 12.0 | 10.3 | |
| ” ” B. | 4.5 | 3.4 | 12.0 | 10.5 | |
| Average | 4.43 | 3.45 | 12.29 | 10.57 |
The eggs vary somewhat in shape and size, as can be seen from the above table, but otherwise there seems to be very little difference.
The young birds stay in the nest for an exceptionally long time. One correspondent states that he found young ones in September and took them out of the nest in December; and
