NOTE ON THE LIFE-HISTORY OF LOCHM/EA SUTURALIS 27 



COMMON SNIPE, Gallinago cxlestis. Found on all suitable ground. 

 DUNLIN, Tritiga alpina. A few pairs nest. 



COMMON SANDPIPER, Totanus hypoleucus. Distributed during the 

 nesting season over the whole course of the river. 



REDSHANK, Totanus calidris. Within the past ten years a number 

 of pairs nest annually in the area. 



COMMON CURLEW, Nwnenius arquata. On every hillside. 



BLACK-HEADED GULL, Larus ridibundus. A nesting-place at Haining. 

 Numbers frequent the river during the spring and summer 

 months in search of food. 



LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, Larus fitscus. Several frequent the 

 valley during spring and summer ; and these may be looked on, 

 during their stay, as the most destructive winged vermin in the 

 district, subsisting as they do to a great extent on smolts 

 (during the smolt period) and trout, and on the young of game 

 birds and wildfowl. As an instance of the rapacity and audacity 

 of the species, in the end of last June, while angling on the 

 Gladhouse Reservoir, Midlothian, an immature bird suddenly 

 descended on four Teal, apparently two or three weeks old, 

 which were feeding within 80 yards of us, near a rushy margin, 

 caught one in its bill, and chased the remaining three to the 

 shelter of the rushes, repeatedly jumping on one of the ducklings, 

 but without success, as its bill was full. It then flew past us, 

 within 50 yards, and, alighting on a sandy spit, at once gulped 

 down the victim. 



NOTE ON THE LIFE -HISTORY OF LOCHM&A 

 SUTURALIS: A BEETLE DESTRUCTIVE TO 

 HEATHER. 



By PERCY H. GRIMSHAW, F.E.S. 



ON the 23rd of August last Mr. Archibald Fairbairn, of 

 Wellwood, Muirkirk, Ayrshire, sent to the Museum for 

 examination a root of heather infested with a small whitish 

 grub, which he stated had destroyed many acres of good 

 young heather in his district, causing the shoots to become 

 quite withered and brown. Mr. Fairbairn also stated in the 

 accompanying letter that he was inclined to think that this 



