Page:The Kea, a New Zealand problem (1909).pdf/62

58 coming out of their quills. The legs are large, dark grey in colour, with black claws, very weak in muscular action, and at present useless. The body and head are still to a large extent covered with long light grey down, which, however, is fast disappearing.

The larger bird was able, after a few days, to swallow food by itself, but the smaller one still required the food to be poked down its throat.

The suggestion has been made that, owing to the continued change of diet in the Kea, the taste for meat has become hereditary, and in proof of this it is stated that young Keas only a few days old have been known to eat meat.

As far as I can ascertain there is at present no proof in support of the suggestion; for, though young Keas can be nourished for some time on meat, this in itself does not prove that the taste for it is natural.

Other cases are known where birds have taken readily to a new diet and yet heredity could have had no influence in the matter.

Through the kindness of Dr. Cockayne and Mr. E. Jennings I am able to publish the following incident:—

While they were on a tour of the Southern Islands of New Zealand in the Government steamer “Hinemoa,” in 1904, a specimen of the flightless duck (Nesonetta Aucklandica) was captured and brought alive to Dunedin. From the time of its capture it was fed solely on bread and milk, which it seemed to take to readily. Now, this duck is found only on the Auckland Islands, where it feeds on crustaceans, etc., which are found among the rocks and the kelp (Durvillea) of the sea shore.

These islands are uninhabited, and are practically never visited by any ship except the Government steamer “Hinemoa,” which pays them a semi-annual visit.

It can almost be taken for certain that this particular bird had never seen bread, much less tasted it; and yet when caught, it at once took to this new food, so entirely different from its natural supply.