The Dung-Beetles of the Pampas 



fended by the praises which his debtor owes 

 him. Let us simply say that, acting on my 

 instructions, his eyes take the place of mine. 

 He seeks, finds, observes, sends me his notes 

 and his discoveries. I observe, seek and 

 find with him, by correspondence. 



It is done; thanks to this first-rate col- 

 laborator, I have my seat on the magic 

 carpet. Behold me in the pampas of the 

 Argentine Republic, eager to draw a parallel 

 between the industry of the Serignan ^ Dung- 

 beetles and that of their rivals in the western 

 hemisphere. 



A glorious beginning! An accidental 

 find procures me, to begin with, the Splendid 

 Phanasus {P. splendididus) , who combines 

 a coppery effulgence with the sparkling green 

 of the emerald. One is quite astonished to 

 see so rich a gem load its basket with ordure. 

 It is the jewel on the dung-hill. The corselet 

 of the male is grooved with a wide hollow 

 and he sports a pair of sharp-edged pinions 

 on his shoulders; on his forehead he plants 

 a horn which vies with that of the Spanish 

 Copris. While equally rich in metallic 

 splendour, his mate has no fantastic embel- 

 lishments, which are an exclusive prerogative 



^ Serignan, in Provence, where the author ended his 

 days. — Translator's Note. 



239 



