376 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



burning a very large amount of the dead heather next 

 spring." 



(h) "All the gamekeepers in this district obstinately main- 

 tain that the mischief is due to frost, but none of them can 

 account for the fact of its only appearing in patches, and not 

 by any means in the most exposed places." 



(i) " I send you a portion of damaged heather with peat. 

 . . . My keepers here scout at the idea of beetles, and say the 

 damage came too quickly and over too great a radius, and they 

 consider it caused by sudden thaw on frosted heather and bleak 

 east winds following." 



(j) " There was a good deal of frosted heather all over this 

 country. 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 neighbour- 

 ing estate I understand that the patches have been gradually 

 extending ; but I have not verified this. I could understand 

 the frost affecting places where the heather had already been 

 damaged by the beetle ; but one would expect the injured por- 

 tions to increase afterwards, and the heather to be affected on 

 dry as well as on wet ground." 



(k) Same correspondent as (j). " 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 

 to be a few injured or dead shoots when one looks closely at it." 



(/) " Yon will bo interested to hear there is very little to 



