380 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



Another remedy that suggests itself as, at any rate, worth 

 trying, is the introduction of some creature which would feed 

 upon the beetle or its grub, and so keep its numbers in check. 

 Unfortunately the Red Grouse itself does not appear to devour 

 the insect at all, but a close relative, namely, the Black Grouse 

 (Tetrao tetrix) has been proved to have a partiality for Lochmcea 

 suturalis. In December, 1908, the Keeper of the Natural 

 History Department in the Royal Scottish Museum, received 

 for identification a small box filled with beetles. In the accom- 

 panying letter it was stated that the beetles formed part of the 

 contents of the crop of a Blackcock. The beetles, of which 

 there were a great many, proved to be our old friend, or rather 

 enemy, Lochmcea suturalis. Again, in 1907, Professor E. B. 

 Poulton of Oxford, communicated to the Entomological Society 

 of London an interesting account of the food of Blackgame, 

 based upon observations made by Dr F. Menteith Ogilvie, of 

 Oxford. In this communication Dr Ogilvie's notes on the 

 contents of the crops of five Blackgame are reproduced, and in 

 four cases out of five the heather beetle had been consumed 

 in large quantities. These notes are of so much interest in 

 the present connexion that we cannot forbear quoting those 

 portions which refer to the beetle. The summarised con- 

 tents of the crops, numbered 1, 2, 4, and 5, include the 

 following : 



(1) " An immense number of small dark brown beetles, 

 Lochmcea (Adimonia) suturalis of Thomson." 



(2) " Many dark brown beetles, as in ? of October 17th, 

 1907 [No. 1], but less numerous." 



(4) " Three hundred or more dark brown beetles (Lochmcea 

 suturalis)." 



(5) " Immense number of the usual small dark brown 

 beetle." 



11 The two outstanding features are the spangle galls and 

 the small beetle. Almost all the birds were crowded with these, 

 and, judging by my specimens, the Blackgame must have been 

 destroying enormous numbers of bolli. I don't think, as 



