Semi-weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1871-1872, 1872-02-11
"PACTS FOB DARWIN"

A remarkable example of change
of habit following a change of con-
dition is given by Mr.. T. H. Potts
in late number of mature" The
case is that of a bird belonging to
the parrot family, and known as
the Kea. The bird is found in GER
tain localities amid the wild scenery
of the Southern Alps, in the Middle
Island of New Zealand, and, up to
the advent of the Europeans, its
food consisted mainly of the sweet
OF flowers and the berries of noun
tain shrubs, with occasionally such
insects as are found in the crevices
Of rocks or beneath the bark of
trees. Its aliment, therefore, though
not exclusively vegetarian, was such
as called forth no display of bold
ness in the effort to procure a suf6-
cient supply. But with the occupa-
ton of the country by the English,
its habits in this regard have mate
rally changed. Attracted by the
meat-gallows of the back-country
squatters, the bird soon learned, in
the scarcity of other food, to tear
its meal from the half-dried carcass
OF some slaughtered sheep, or, fail
ing to obtain this, the drying sheep
skins stretched on the. rails of the
stock yard were laid under con-
tribution.
The bird now tears his food from
the back Of the living sheep. We
are told by local paper that for
the last three years the sheep
belonging to settler in the Wanaka
district (Otago) appeared afflicted
with what was thought to be new
kind of disease; neighbors and
shepherds were equally at loss to
account for it, having never seen
anything of the kind before. The
first appearance of this supposed
disease is patch of raw flesh on
the loin of the sheep, about the size
of mans hand; from this, matter
continually runs down the side,
taking the wool completely off the
part it touches, and in many cases
death is the result. At last a
shepherd noticed one of the noun
tain parrots sticking to a sheep and
pecking at a sore, and that the
animal seemed unable to get rid of
its tormentor. The run-holder gave
directions to his shepherds to keep
watch on the parrots when muster
ing on the high ground; the result
has been that during the present
season, when mastering high upon
the ranges near the snow-line, they
saw several of the birds surrounding
a sheep, which was freshly bleeding
from a small wound in the loin; on
other sheep were noticed places
where the Kea had begun to attack
them, small pieces of wool having
been picked out.
"From the recent settlement of
the country says Mr.. Potts, cit
would be quite possible to date each
step in the development of the
destructiveness of the Kea, the gra-
dual yet rapid change from the mild
gentleness of the honey-eater, luxu-
rating amid fragrant blossoms
when the season was Tapped in sun
shine. or picking the berried fruits
in the more sheltered gullies when
winter had sternly crushed and hid
den the vegetation of its summer
haunts. Led perhaps to relish
animal food from its partly insect
ivorous habits, its visits to the out
stations show something like the
bold thievery of some of the corude,
while its attacks on sheep feeding
on the high ranges exhibit an amount
Of daring akin to the savage fierce
ness of the roptorial. Galary.