Page:The Kea, a New Zealand problem (1909).pdf/74

70 “At about half past four next morning our ornithological alarm went off, and I got up and hurried up the mountain side. When half way up to the traps, I heard a wild screaming behind me, and looking round saw him sailing over me from across the gully. Almost immediately two others further up answered, and all three presently arrived at the traps. They were a pair and an old male bird, and I sat quietly among the tussocks a few yards away, waiting for them to rush joyfully into the traps after the meat. But not a bit of it; after thoroughly inspecting ‘Angela’ and her cage, and bestowing a casual glance at the traps, they came over and subjected me to a searching scrutiny.

“Finding that I was an object of interest to them, I moved nearer to the traps and tried in vain to call their attention to the dainty viands displayed therein. It was no use. If I sat quite still they went over and had a chat with ‘Angela,’ sitting on the roof of her cage the while; if I moved they hopped blithely round me and my ways. The place they did not hop on was the space covered by the traps.

“As they came quite fearlessly to within a few feet of me, I decided to try and snare them, so I went into a little clump of bush near by and got a rod and a piece of fine creeper for a noose. The Keas accompanied me, hopping round in the trees above my head while I cut the stock and prepared my snare. Having got everything ready, I returned to the promontory, and squatted quietly down under a big boulder.

“Almost instantly a head appeared over the edge above me, and the owner of it gave a quiet little call. Another head appeared, and another, and then, within three feet of me, the birds sat and watched me with a whole world of curiosity in their bright little eyes. Gently I raised the snare and brought it towards the middle one. He took no notice until it was almost over his head and then he quietly took it on his beak and began chewing it.

“Realising that I could not snare them, I went half-way down the hill and called to H. to bring up a coil of wire-netting