More Beetles 



of this united labour, the couple at last ob- 

 tain the long, cylindrical loaf. The father 

 has done the grinding, the mother the 

 kneading. 



On the 24th of April, everything being 

 now in order, the male leaves the tube of 

 my apparatus. He roams about in the bell- 

 glass, heedless of my presence, he who was 

 at first so timid and apt to dive down the 

 shaft at the first sight of me. He is indif- 

 ferent to food. A few pellets remain on the 

 surface. He comes upon them at every mo- 

 ment; he disdainfully passes them by. He 

 has but one wish, to get away as fast as he 

 can. This is shown by his restless march- 

 ing and countermarching, by his continual 

 attempts to scale the glass wall. He tumbles 

 over, recovers his footing and begins all over 

 again indefinitely, giving not a thought to 

 the burrow, which he will never re-enter. 



I let the desperate Beetle exhaust himself 

 for twenty-four hours in vain attempts at 

 escape. Let us come to his assistance now 

 and restore his freedom. Or rather no, 

 for this would mean that w^e should lose 

 sight of him and remain ignorant of the ob- 

 ject of his perturbation. I have a very 

 large unoccupied rearing-cage. I house the 

 122 



