The Gold Beetles: Their Food 



tutes his protection. The passing Beetle 

 who takes a modest mouthful of this retires 

 forthwith, not caring to dig any more. 



The foamy covering is highly effective. 

 I leave the two Snails all day in the presence 

 of the famished Beetles. No disaster be- 

 falls them. Next morning I find them as 

 fresh and fit as before. To save the Cara- 

 bus from that odious froth, I lay bare the 

 two molluscs over an expanse as wide as my 

 thumb-nail, removing a fragment of the shell 

 in the region of the pulmonary sac. The at- 

 tack now becomes prompt and persistent. 



Five or six Gold Beetles at a time take 

 their stands around the breach that lays bare 

 the non-slimy flesh. There would be more 

 of them if there were room for a greater 

 number, for some eager Carabi arrive who 

 try to slip in between the occupants. Above 

 the breach a sort of scrimmage forms, in 

 which those nearest the victim dig and up- 

 root its flesh, while the others look on or 

 steal a bit from their neighbour's lips. In 

 one afternoon, the Snail is emptied almost 

 to the bottom of his spiral. 



Next day, when the carnage is at its 

 height, I remove the prey and replace it by 

 an untouched Snail, fixed in the sand with 

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