238 LIJFE STOklES OF AUSTRALIAN INSECTS. 



this group are the "burying beetles." They bury the 

 carcases of birds and small animals. Froggatt re- 

 cords the process of burying of a wallaby by many 

 of the beetles of one species of Onthophagiis. They 

 remove the earth below the carcase and so lower it 

 in the earth. Many writers have given interesting 

 accounts of the work of these clever little diggers. 

 Fabre tells us of some of the European "dung 

 beetles," which roll the dung into little balls, and 

 insert an egg or two in the ball. They roll the ball 

 along and hide it away from the dung patch. Some- 

 times one or two beetles aid in the rolling of the 

 larger dung balls, and he records that some of the 

 lazy beetles will snatch away the dung ball made 

 by the owner and roll it off after laying its own 

 egg in it. It does this when the owner is digging 

 a hole to bury the dung-ball. The idea of rolling 

 the ball and hiding it is probably partly to secure 

 sufficient food for the baby grubs and at the same 

 time to hide it away from the large dung-mass 

 which is more conpicuous, and hence more liable 

 to attack from enemies. Fabre also records that 

 the clever little mother beetle does not make the 

 ball in haphazard fashion, but has the more deli- 

 cate part placed close to the egg so that the little 

 baby grub will have a digestible meal ready for it. 

 The coarser and more indigestible food is farther 

 away ready for it when it has grown bigger and 

 stronger. 



Another group is the "honey scarabs," Avhich 

 love the flowers of the bush and are found- 

 in great numbers on flowers of Leptospermum 



