KAISER WILHELM'S LAND, ki'zir vil' Mims Hint. The German portion of New Guinea (q.v.).
KAKA, (Maori name. onomatopoetic in origin). A parrot of the New Zealand genus Nestor, by some regarded as a family (Nesto rida). This group contains large; handsome par rots, having the beak greatly prolonged (eve chilly in the upper mandible) and much cola pressed, and the tongue tipped with a 'brush' of tine hairs. Two species are extinct—Nestor product us, formerly of Phillip Island, and :Oslo). Nw.folernsis, numerous on Norfolk Island. The existing species are two, the kaka proper (Nesfor mcridionaus) and the kea (Nestor no tabilis). The kaka inhabits both islands of New Zealand, but recently has become reduced in numlx.rs, since it is very unsuspicious of harm and is slow of flight. Its general color is brown, with a grayish cap. yellow ear-coverts. and a tinge of red on the rump, abdomen. and tinder surface of the wings. (See Plate of AND PARRAKE•TS.) It inhabits the forests and feeds on juicy berries, neetar brushed from large dowers by means of its tongue. and grubs ole ta ined by stripping off hark dr tearing to pieces decaying wood and growing epiphytes. It is so eial and noisy, and breeds in hollows of trees.
The ken or 'mountain parrot' is large. about the size of a raven, and olive-green. with the
feathers edged with black, and a. reddish tingo beneath the wings and on the tail which olds in a broad blackish band. It belongs to the Singh Island of Now Zealand alone, where it is not found in the forests, hut on the rocky moun tain summits. It seeks its food in brushy places and nests among the crevices of the cliffs. originally largely insectivorous, these parrots have acquired. duce the settlement of New Zea land. a earnivo•ons taste which has made them a pest on all the more elevated sheep-pastures. They used to conic familiarly about the pens and slaughter-houses, and became fond of pick ing the heads and offal thrown out. This liberal diet led to a great inerease of parrots. It was next found that they attacked any sores the sheep might have; and from this learned to alight upon the sheep and with their piekaxe-like beaks tear down through the flesh of the loins until the kidneys were reaehed and devoured, apparently for the sake of their fat. in some districts the loss of sheep has been considerable, and in consequence these parrots have been ne livoly destroyed. Extensive accounts of this group are given by Buller. Birds of Nrir Zealand (London, Med., ISSS).