Page:The Kea, a New Zealand problem (1909).pdf/124

120 The damage done by the nefarious birds is sometimes very serious, and often large numbers of dead sheep, showing the Kea sear, testify to the seriousness of the menace. However, very rash statements are made by many writers and musterers, and it is never clear whether the percentage is on one flock, one run, or the whole Kea-infested country.

Again, one is never certain whether the killing was continued throughout the year or confined to one occasion only;



and consequently many erroneous and often exaggerated statistics have been quoted from time to time.

If the Kea killed sheep all through the year at the rate that it does on certain occasions, or if the Keas in all parts of the Kea country were equally troublesome, then the loss would be so severe that sheep-owners would be afraid of stocking that part of the country with sheep.

Fortunately, however, this is not the case, for the Keas