Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 2 (1898).djvu/249

Rh dance of a white moss or lichen, which exactly resembles a lump of white wool, so much so that a friend of mine who was travelling through the country asked the driver of the coach why there were so many solitary Sheep scattered all over the hills, and was informed that these were bunches of lichen or white moss, at the roots of which were found small white fatty substances, supposed by some to be the seeds of the plant, and by others to be a grub or maggot which infested it, and which is the favourite food of the Kea. I saw a specimen of this woolly lichen which so closely resembled a bit of wool as to be easily mistaken for it. No doubt the bird, misled by this resemblance, commenced an exploration in Sheep, and this proving satisfactory originated the new habit.— (Melbourne).

[The above note has been kindly forwarded to me by Dr. P.L. Sclater. In 'The Zoologist' (1895, p. 293) will be found a paper "On the Habits of the Kea, or Mountain Parrot of New Zealand," by Taylor White, reproduced from the 'Transactions' of the New Zealand Institute, vol. xxvii. pp. 273-280 (1895), in which the author agrees with Mr. Huddlestone that the bird settles on the Sheep above the kidneys, because it is the broadest part, and it can there obtain the best grip of the wool, and that blood rather than flesh is what the bird desires. Mr. Godfrey is also in agreement with Mr. F.R. Chapman ('New Zealand Journal of Science,' 1891), who, describing a valley of the Upper Waimakariri, Canterbury, says:—"A very interesting, or vegetable sheep, was very plentiful on steep rocky places; but I believe a finer species is found on Mount Torlesse.... It is said that the Keas tear them up with their powerful beaks, and that these birds learnt to eat mutton through mistaking dead Sheep for masses of Raoulia.—]

Sagacity among Birds.—Some few years ago, when staying at the Great Eastern Hotel, Calcutta, I witnessed an interesting scene between three birds. It was early in the morning, and when sitting in my room I noticed a Hawk alight on the ledge about a foot wide that ran round the building. .The Hawk rested just opposite my window, but did not apparently see me; it had a bone in its talons, and was soon hard at work endeavouring to tear off what little meat there was on it. But in about a minute's time two Crows arrived on the scene; one flew behind the Hawk, and the other in front. The bird behind kept, coming up and giving a smart tug at the tail of the Hawk, which made him turn half-round to drive the bold intruder off, but still holding its bone. After this had been done several times the Crow gave an extra hard pull at the Hawk's tail; that bird then disengaged its foot from the bone, and, turning half-round, made a lunge towards the Crow to drive it away; but immediately the Hawk had let go the bone agd turned round, the other Crow in front, which