THE HEATHER BEETLE 



373 



small size of the samples, for they measured only 12 1 and 30 

 square inches respectively. 



The following table indicates the number of beetles obtained 

 from the samples by the above method. 



If these figures are worked out they show an average of Number to 

 1,437,480, or nearly a million and a half beetles per acre. Thus 

 Lochmcea suturalis, if the cause of the diseased condition, is an 

 important pest, and cannot be ignored. 



It may be of interest to give some further extracts from the 

 correspondence on the subject, to show that the greater part of 

 the evidence either actually supports, or at least is not in con- 

 flict with the idea that the heather beetle and not frost is the 

 agent responsible for the destruction of so many acres of heather. 



(a) " The enclosed . . . larvae I found yesterday on the 

 ground amongst the grass and moss, where the heather is all 

 dead and diseased. I thought it might be the larva of the 

 heather beetle, so thought I would forward them to you for 

 examination." [Contents of box were nine larvae and twelve 

 pupae of Lochmcea.] 



(b) " Here we had very little signs of the insect last year, 



