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2. For the Kea.
| (a.) |
The lack of recorded eye-witnesses. |
| (b.) |
In many places where keas were known, to live, no sheep had been killed after the kea's method. |
| (c.) |
Many keas in captivity would not eat meat, &c. |
| (d.) |
Many of the men who accused the bird were paid for exterminating them, and they would naturally wish the story to be believed. |
It was suggested to the writer by Dr. Cockayne that in order to get some evidence that might be depended on all the men who had seen the kea attack sheep should be requested to send in an unexaggerated account of what they had seen, and when this eye-witness evidence had been sifted and arranged some real facts about this interesting bird might be obtained and published.
In response to several requests, kindly published for me by the newspapers, I have received a large amount of evidence from men who live, or have lived, in kea country—namely, musterers, shepherds, head shepherds, managers of stations, runholders, and station-owners. These, it is true, are not trained scientific observers, nevertheless they all live in contact with fact, and it seems to me that we are sure to get nearer to the truth by taking the experiences of men who have spent most of their lives in kea country than those of men who judge the birds mostly from caged or preserved specimens.
To make the evidence as reliable as possible, the following precautions have been taken: (1.) Nothing but accounts from the eye-witnesses themselves have been taken. (2.) Evidence without the writer's name and address has been cast out. (3.) All details, as year, station, &c., have been received in each case, when possible. (4.) The witnesses, if necessary, have been cross-examined by post. (5.) All accounts of keas attacking sheep have been forwarded with a written statement that, if necessary, the writer will be willing to swear to his evidence before a Justice of the Peace. (6.) The accounts that have been received will be filed and presented to the library of this Institute, for further reference. In spite of all these precautions, I am aware that inaccuracies may creep in; but I think that when fifty or sixty eye-witnesses agree in the main facts of the case we may take it for granted that we are somewhere near the truth.
To some people this question will never be satisfactorily proved until some man of scientific standing has actually seen the kea killing the sheep. In order to satisfy these doubters, I should suggest that some sheep should be fenced in on some
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station where keas are plentiful, and by getting some one of scientific standing to keep watch, the keas' method of attack could be witnessed in surroundings that are quite natural. In this way, no forcing of starving of the bird would be needful. However, I think I am justified in saying that, as far as human evidence can be relied on, I have conclusively proved that the kea has not only taken to meat-eating, but that it does actually attack and kill sheep for the sake of the meat.
In order to have evidence from both sides I invited accounts from men who believed the kea to be innocent, but I only received one reply. The writer did not want his name published, and told me not to take much notice of what the Stock Inspectors told me, for the whole thing was a bogey. He promised to send me down the names of a number of reliable men who would give me satisfactory evidence to support his side. However, as his list included two Inspectors, and as four other names were marked as doubtful, I did not deem it wise to continue this kind of investigation.