404 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



is burned in a single year, or at most two, and remains good for 

 several years, the results are different, and a large stock of birds 

 appear. But if the whole heather were burned at once and 

 severe late spring frosts came, so would the whole young heather, 

 some fine day, be destroyed, and probably the Grouse become 

 extinct on larger areas. 



In a country where Grouse are scarce the evil may arise from 

 interbreeding ; and indeed this evil may even be a factor on 

 densely -stocked moors, strange as the assertion may at first 

 blush appear, because on densely-stocked moors the interbreeding 

 may only be less in degree, as this large stock has been produced 

 to an unnatural extent upon an area calculated by Nature to con- 

 tain a far less number of birds. In a sparsely-populated district 

 judicious introduction of fresh blood is necessary, and even on 

 densely-populated moors exchange of a few hundred netted brace 

 for others from a distance would decrease the chances of disease, 

 though I doubt if it would cure or entirely prevent it. 



I have had no experience of mowing heather, and do not 

 think I ever saw any treated in this way, so cannot speak on this 

 point practically, though I could of course do so theoretically 

 and draw conclusions from parallel circumstances. Thus, I know 

 if old whin or furze be cut, it is less likely to sprout again than 

 if holed out, at least in some districts. The atmosphere and 

 rainfall rots and destroys the stumps of cut furze, but the loose 

 earth turned up in holing out furze throws up to the surface old 

 dormant seeds and fibres to the vivifying action of the air 

 and sun. 



NOTES OF A NATURALIST ON THE WEST COAST OF 



SPITZBERGEN. 



By Alfred Heneage Cocks, M.A., F.Z.S. 

 (Concluded from p. 380.) 



The following mammals were met with by us in Spitzbergen — 

 Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus, L.). — The short bark of this 

 animal was often heard above the screechings of the innumerable 

 birds high up on the cliffs comprising the " loomeries," and where 

 it was scrambling along in quest of such eggs or young birds as 

 it might be able to reach. One or two were seen and one picked 



