More Beetles 



ing one atop of the other a pile of mountains 

 wrenched from their base; the Typhoeus of 

 the naturalists does not climb: he descends; 

 he bores the soil to enormous depths. The 

 first, with a heave of the shoulder, set a 

 province trembling; the second, with a 

 thrust of his back, makes his little mound 

 quake as Etna quakes when he who lies 

 buried beneath her stirs. 



Such is the insect which I propose to study 

 to-day, penetrating as far as may be Into the 

 secret sources of its actions. The few par- 

 ticulars which I have already gained, during 

 the long period of my acquaintance with It, 

 make me suspect habits worthy of a fuller 

 record. 



But what Is the use of this record, what 

 the use of all this minute research? I well 

 know that it will not bring about a fall in 

 the price of pepper, a rise in that of crates 

 of rotten cabbages or other serious events 

 of this sort, which cause fleets to be manned 

 and set people face to face Intent upon ex- 

 terminating one another. The Insect does 

 not aspire to so much glory. It confines It- 

 self to showing us life in all the Inexhaustible 

 variety of its manifestations; it helps us to 

 74 



