THE HEATHER BEETLE 421 



(kk) " There was a good deal of frosted heather all over this country, and 

 I have referred to it in my Report sent in to Mr A. S. Leslie. In my opinion 

 the heather beetle was not responsible for the damage, at least on my own 

 estate. The burned patches of heather were plainly noticeable within two days 

 of the severe frost which occurred on April 23rd, 24th, and 25th last. The heather 

 was uninjured on dry slopes, most of the damage occurring in wet, cold and 

 waterlogged ground, and the patches have not extended since they were first 

 seen. On a neighbouring estate I understand that the patches have been 

 gradually extending ; but I have not verified this. I could understand the frost 

 aflfecting places where the heather had already been damaged by the beetle ; but 

 one would expect the injured portions to increase afterwards, and the heather 

 to be affected on dry as well as on wet ground." 



(U) Same correspondent as (M-). "It is very difficult for me to believe that 

 the injury to the heather is due to the beetle, though I can well believe the 

 beetle is a contributory cause. It is easy to find any number of beetles about 

 the roots of the injured heather. The injured heather was all apparent immedi- 

 ately after the frost, and has not increased during the summer. It is also in 

 places facing the morning sun as far as we can judge. ... In looking at the 

 heather all over the hill there seems no place where it is quite perfect, that 

 is to say, there always seem a few injured or dead shoots when one looks 

 closely at it." 



(?nm) " You will be interested to hear there is very little to be seen of 

 the heather beetle this year, and this bears out our local experience of the pest, 

 that after a wet winter the numbers and damage by them is very consider- 

 abl}^ checked, and that after dry winters they get bad again. This year we 

 have had a very wet January and February, while these months in 1908 and 

 1909 were comparatively dry." 



(nn) "In the Field for January 31st, 1903 (p. 150), Mr William Prior, 

 gamekeeper to Lord H. Bentinck, Deeside, Dent (Yorkshire), writes as follows : 

 ' It is a fallacy to suppose that frost injures the tender shoots of the young 

 heather in the young Grouse season, or that the frosts of April, May, or 

 June are injurious to the shoots.'" 



(oo) " 1 don't think very much heather has been destroyed by grub, certainly 

 some has, but a good deal of heather has been apparently injured by the severe 

 frost we had some days ago." 



{j>p) " There were any amount of what I take to be the heather beetle 



