first gave a jump or two, and then made down hill at a great rate. When the sheep got into motion, the bird spread out its wings, and, as the pace became faster, the wings came together at the perpendicular. The sheep continued its race until both were lost to view, after going some distance through the storm.”
These blind rushes often end even more tragically. The sheep in its blind rush often comes to a precipice, and, with the same impulse that brought it so far, it leaps over the edge and is dashed to pieces on the ground below. In this case the Kea leaves its hold as soon as the sheep begins to fall, but follows the unfortunate animal in the descent to satisfy its hunger on the result of its labours.
Mr. Robert Guthrie, of Canterbury, who has spent a large number of years in Kea country, gives the following graphic description of Keas attacking the sheep at their nightly camps:—“At last one clear night, when there was about half a moon, I made my way up to the sheep camp. After a good deal of trouble, I got into a crevice in a rock that I had selected in daylight, within twenty feet of the nearest sheep, and without disturbing them. I lay there for some hours and, just two or three minutes before the moon went down, fifteen Keas alighted, within ten feet of where I was lying, as silent as spectres. They immediately became exceedingly active, running about and picking at this and that amongst the sheep, jumping on and off the sheeps’ backs, the sheep not taking the slightest notice of them. All at once the moon left me, and I could see no more. I waited for more than an hour longer, and during that time there were a few commotions among the sheep, but not a sound from the Keas. I got one dead sheep next day. The next night I was again in my place in the rocks, and had only a few minutes to wait, when the fifteen Keas lit again, as silently as on the night before. They again scattered round the camp, and seemed to be exceedingly busy and active, running to and fro, picking at this and that. It seemed to me that they were after small grubs that are usually found about a sheep camp. They eventually began jumping on the sheeps’ backs and
