The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-06-02

singular bird has r-csH. ~ Ha-n Gd-
Cd tc the election -l .ue L1a.lr.ea
Garden London This none other than
q ra~ufvCr1us parrot whose love af auI-
NAL aash manifest Itself .u a very deei-
deI rradieetien t9l mutton Taee are
two .hi0Es which, In lie Iralist are
remarkable ju CauuaC .ar . itl this bra.
First, it is, i'm respect Of 5his flesh eating
propensity. an exception to the whole
family of parrots. which are frugivorous
living on fruits. seeds. leaves, buds aud
fu- ike and second, this caTnlVOrOus
taste is not a natural but an acquired
r,4e-assiOn the species Of parrot In QUeS-
Zoo having been. till a few years since,
frr,-fvorous. like others Of its family.
This curious bird is the kea Nest0r no
.I7-e or mountain parrot, and comes
rr N New Zealand. The general color
Of its plumare is green its length from
uafv- Of bill TO extremity Of tail IS twen-
tv-ora inches long. the Upper mandible
baino curved and very strong. 1t in
habits the higher wooded glens and re-
rasses Of the mountainous district Of
Nov Zealand. and. like the owl, is gen
erarIv nocturnal in its habits. The kea
was first made known TO science i'm 1856.
IN he time of Maori rule. the bird was
as innocent and harmless in its habits as
ra-pects its food. as any others of the
parrot family; and it was not tin the
hfrDer tracts of country were utilized
tHat the kea was tempted to desert its
fruft-eating habits. and join the destruc-
tive army Of the carnivora.
about 1865 it was noticed at the sheep
sHaaring seasons on the upland runs that
many sheep were suffering from sores or
scars. more or less recent. on the hack,
immediately in front of the hips. Cur
iOusIv enough, it was observed that in
all the animals so injured. the wound
was precisely the same place in each
fairly above the kidneys.
The animals so injured were iuvari-
aNv those in the best condition; and
many discussions ensued as to what
could be the cause of this singular state
of things. At last a shepherd gave it as
his opinion that the injury was inflicted
bv q kind Of parrot. rather a tame sort
of bird. that was to be found in the
Hfrher ranges but the shepherds Opin-
ion was only laughed at. Yet the shep-
herd. after all was found to be right.
I'm connections with stations on sheep
Rms i'm New Zealand, there is a meat
allows. where the cascasses of sheep
zfled for food are kept and it was OBJ
served by shepherds that the 6eas were
i1 the habit of visiting the gallOws and
Ereaking off bits OF mutton fat with
their strong beaks. Soon afterwards.
one or more hands actually saw parrot
on the back of a sheep plucking and
tearing the wool and flesh on a precisely
similar spot to that where so many had
been found to be fatally wounded.
ThQre was no doubt about the keas
being the offenders. and means were at
once taken to reduce their numbers.
Since then a mortal enmity has existed
avainst them ON the part of the shep.
herds: ami Justly so, as it is found that
from three to five per cent. of every
of eyerv flock is so wounded or killed
In some individual instances the ratio
Of destruction has been much higher.
At one station on the Natatpu, out of a
flock of twenty Lincoln rams, nineteen
were killed within one month by these
Parrots On another run. I'm a flock of
three hundred and ten strong young
watEeIs, were. within q period of five
months. so seriously injured by the Eeas
that within the end of that time only
one hundred and five remained alive. In
consequence of this destruction, men
were engaged to kill the birds at q shii-
ling a head. and these men. taking adj
vantage Of its nocturnal habits. now
range the mountain at night, lighting
fires TO attract their game. In the day
.Illlt L..tF -E0l t'.'t ".'.LF ..l' t'fA
sale. But the kea, with tie Cleyerness
cunning of their tribe, has grown very
snv and wary. and knows very well VIXEN
f. sees a man carrying gun on his
shoulder what he is likely TO DO with If.
When q sheep, temporarily exhausted
with its eXertiOus in tOiiing through
9oop snow. under the burden of a two
ye. IS growth of wool breaks off from
the mob and leaves the track, desperate
IS tioundeTing into deeper snow wreaths
g food Of parrots, ever watchful as they
hover round, soon perceive their oppOr-
lunitv for mischief they alight close to
the spot where the sheep, unconscious
Of approaching danger. stands gazing
fxedlv in a state of helpless stupidity ::
gradually hopping or moving towards
the victim with some show of caution.
one of the keas at last settles on the
back of the sheep which, terrified at the
strange visitor that thus besets it. starts
away the bird now rises only to aliCht
again on the same place. aud clutching
intO the wool with its sharp claws. re-
tains it's hold more firmly and tenacious
". In vain the tortured animal: i'm the
direst agony seeks to rid itself of its
cruel prosecutor that boldly keeps its
vantage after running and struggling
some distance, its efforts TO escape be-
come feebleT it is at length so hard
pressed that in a few minutes it yields
pI5sively to the tearing and searching
beak Of the kea.
These repulsive, flesh dev0uring pro-
pensities may have been acquired thro'
the bird having been forced. in severe
winters, to approach the stations i'm the
hopes of finding food, and there feeding
ON the flesh in the meat gallOws, and
TINS gradually forming a caTuiyOus an