102 THE LIFE AND LOVE OF THE INSECT 



horn, ending in a trident. The female replaces this 

 ornament with simple folds. Both carry, in front of 

 their shield, two spikes which form a trusty digging- 

 implement and also a scalpel for dissecting. The insect's 

 squat, sturdy, four-cornered build resembles that of 

 Onitis Olivieri, one of the rarities of the neighbourhood 

 of Montpellier. 



If similarity of shape implied parity of work, we ought 

 unhesitatingly to attribute to Phanaeus Milo short, thick 

 puddings like those made by Olivier's Onitis. Alas, 

 structure is a bad guide where the instinct is concerned ! 

 The square-chined, short-legged Dung-worker excels in 



the art of manu- 

 facturing gourds. 

 The Sacred Beetle 

 himself supplies 

 none that are more 

 perfect nor, above 

 ~^^/^W^^^^::-^:'' '"^'[i]- -^^ %^' all, more capacious. 

 Fig. S.-Phamvus Milo. . The thick-set 



insect astonishes 

 me with the elegance of its work, which is irreproachable 

 in its geometry : the neck is less slender, but neverthe- 

 less combines grace with strength. The model seems 

 derived from some Indian calabash, the more so as the 

 neck opens wide and the belly is engraved with an elegant 

 guilloche, produced by the insect's tarsi. One seems to 

 see a pitcher protected by a wicker-work covering. The 

 whole is able to attain and even exceed the size of a 

 hen's egg. 



It is a very curious piece of work and of a rare perfec- 

 tion, especially when we consider the artist's clumsy and 

 massive build. Once again, the tool does not make the 



