20 INSECT LIFE i 



Thereupon courage returns, and the struggle begins 

 again. Standing on its platform the beetle stretches 

 its joints, rounds its back, and hoists the pellet. 

 When that no longer avails, it manoeuvres with its 

 feet, now upright, now head downward. There is 

 a new pause and new signs of uneasiness when the 

 limit of extension is reached. Without disturbing 

 the creature let us put another little stone on the 

 first. By the help of the new step, which gives a 

 support for its levers, the insect pursues its task. 

 Adding one step to another as required, I have seen 

 the Scarabaeus, perched on a shaky pile of three or 

 four fingers' breadth, persisting in its labour until the 

 ball was completely freed. 



Had it some vague consciousness of the services 

 rendered by the elevation of its point of leverage ? 

 I cannot believe it, although the beetle profited 

 very cleverly by my platform of little stones, for if 

 the very elementary idea of using a higher base to 

 reach something too elevated was not beyond it, how 

 was it that neither beetle bethought him of offer- 

 ing his back to the other, thus rendering the task 

 possible ? One assisting the other, they might have 

 doubled the height attained. They are far indeed 

 from any such combinations. Here, each pushes 

 the ball with all its might, but pushes as if alone, 

 without seeming to suspect the happy result which 

 would be brought about by a combined effort. 

 When the ball is fastened to the ground by a pin, 

 they behave as they would when the ball is stopped 

 by a loop of dandelion, or held by some slender bit 

 of stalk which has got into the soft, rolling mass. 

 My artifice brought about a stoppage not unlike 



