CHAPTER V.
AT PLAY.
Living, real, alert for charm or evil,
Hurrying in every breeze,—and haunting,
Heavy-winged, the vistas of the forest.
The Kea may be a marked bird throughout the whole Dominion; it may ravage the flocks and bring dismay to the sheep farmer; but for all this there can be no gainsaying the fact that it is a most lively and interesting companion. In places where it has not been too much harassed by the Kea-hunter it shows little fear of man, and the traveller can always depend on an hour or two of amusement whenever the bird appears. When one is camping out among the ranges, the birds often come round and amuse themselves at the traveller’s expense. They seem to take the whole oversight of the preparations for camp; they investigate the camp fire; they pull the cooking utensils about; they test the strength of the tent ropes; and, if not driven away, they will scatter the contents of the “swag” far and wide.
Indeed, you can never suffer from ennui while they remain with you; for, while you are driving one away from your tent, another will be trying his beak on the coat that you have hung up on a tree for safety. With their merry eyes, and their shining coats, their perky ways, and their tameness and extreme inquisitiveness, they are welcome and unwelcome at the same time.
The Kea is one of the most inquisitive birds imaginable, and, indeed, it is this trait in his character that has partly brought about his downfall.
Keas make a loud din when together; and, when one is camping out, their incessant screeching and calling are a
60
