Page:The Kea, a New Zealand problem (1909).pdf/141

Rh acceptance is unfortunate; for, on looking up all the available records, I find that the evidence does not support the statement. The evidence rather indicates that, whenever and wherever men have penetrated the mountainous country of the three lower provinces of the South Island, Keas have been found in the parts explored. It was because the Otago and Southland mountains were explored first, and the Canterbury mountains a little later, that the idea of the northern migration was suggested, and very likely, if Dr. Haast and Sir James Hector had explored the Canterbury alpine region first, the alleged migration might have had its direction reversed.

Even if we take the dates and places of the Kea’s discovery, the facts do not uphold the theory. In 1856 Mr. W. Mantell found the Kea in Southland,—the exact spot is not recorded. Then, instead of finding it a few miles further north in Otago, Dr. Haast discovered it three years later at Mt. Cook in Canterbury, about two hundred miles further north, thus missing the large Otago province which lies between. It was not till three years later that Sir James Hector reported it to be among the snow mountains of the intervening province.

In the same year Dr. Haast saw it at Browning’s Pass, about 80 miles still further north, and in 1867 it was known at the Lochinvar Station, sixty miles further north again of Browning’s Pass. We have no record of the Kea being found further north than the Lochinvar Station until 1882. This is very likely due to the fact that no scientific man explored the country. If one did, he left no available records.

It will thus be seen that, instead of the Kea’s area of distribution being increased a few miles further north year by year, as would have been the case had the birds travelled north, the birds were found at different places, sometimes 200 miles north of their previous location, while they were not found in the intervening country until many years afterwards.

It is also very unlikely that, the moment the birds were discovered, they made a rush northward, so that in eleven years they had migrated 300 miles from their old homes.