The Sacred Beetle: the Ball 



at no great depth, and consume it In peace. 

 The owner, therefore, draws his ball out of 

 the dung-yard; and, in accordance with 

 ancient usage, begins straightway to roll it 

 about on the ground, a little at random. 

 Any one who was not present at the be- 

 ginning and who now saw the ball rolling 

 along, with the insect pushing it backwards, 

 would naturally imagine that the round shape 

 resulted from this method of transport. It 

 rolls, therefore it becomes round, even as 

 a shapeless lump of clay would soon be- 

 come round if trundled in the same way. 

 Though apparently logical, the idea Is 

 erroneous in every respect: we have just 

 seen this perfect sphericity acquired before 

 the ball moved from the spot. The rolling 

 therefore has nothing to do with this 

 geometrical accuracy; it merely hardens the 

 surface Into a tough crust and polishes It a 

 little, if only by working Into the substance 

 of the pellet any coarse bits that might have 

 made it rough at the beginning. Between 

 the pill that has been rolled for hours and 

 the pill that is stationary In the dung-yard 

 there is no difference in configuration. 



What is the advantage of this particular 

 shape, which Is invariably adopted at the 

 very outset of the work? Does the Scarab 

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