The Gold Beetles: Their Food 



back to them. What was my reason for 

 provoking the massacre of the Procession- 

 aries who were on the point of quietly bury- 

 ing themselves when I confronted them with 

 their butchers? Was it to enjoy the spec- 

 tacle of a frantic massacre? Certainly not: 

 I have always pitied the sufferings of ani- 

 mals; and the life of the smallest is worthy 

 of respect. To overcome that compassion, 

 the demands of scientific research were 

 needed; and these are sometimes cruel. 



I had in view the habits of the Gold-bee- 

 tle, the little ranger of our gardens who, for 

 this reason, is popularly known as the Gar- 

 dener. How far does he deserve to be 

 called a helper? What does the Carabus 

 hunt? Of what vermin does he rid our 

 flower-beds? We have seen a promising 

 start made with the Pine Processionary. 

 Let us continue in the same direction. 



On various occasions late in April, the 

 enclosure provides me with processions, now 

 longer, now shorter. I capture them and 

 place them in the glass vivarium. No 

 sooner is the banquet served than the feast- 

 ing begins. The caterpillars are ripped 

 open, by a single consumer or by several at 

 one time. In less than fifteen minutes the 

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