INSECT ATTACKS AND REMEDIES 145 



but birds and mice from attacking freshly 

 sown quantities. Injury from wireworm is not 

 likely to cause any serious consequences after 

 the second year's growth of the plants, especially 

 if the ground has been kept clean and free from 

 weeds during the egg-laying season in June. 



The Heather Beetle (ILochnuza saturalis). Of 

 late years this beetle has been terribly on the 

 increase in Scotland, where the heather over 

 large areas has been killed outright by its 

 attacks. It was first described from Scandi- 

 navia in 1866, and in Scotland appeared about 

 twelve years ago. During the past five years, 

 however, it has increased at an alarming rate, 

 and large areas of heather, particularly in Ayr- 

 shire, Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire, have 

 been completely killed out owing to its 

 attacks. 



The Earl of Dalkeith informs me that " on 

 the Duke of Buccleuch's Dumfriesshire moors, 

 a large amount of heather has been attacked by 

 the beetle. In one case, almost the whole of 

 one beat has been very badly attacked, and in 

 another case a considerable area of another 

 beat. In both of these instances the heather 



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