The Sacred Beetle: the Larva 



of an organ of sight on its yellowish head- 

 piece. The absence of eyes, however, does 

 not authorize us to deny the influence of the 

 light, an influence which perhaps is vaguely 

 resented by the grub's delicate skin. Proofs 

 are required. Here they are. 



I manage to make my breach almost in the 

 dark. The little light that remains is just 

 suflicient to guide my housebreaking-imple- 

 ment. When the opening is made, I at once 

 lower the shell into a dark box. A few 

 minutes later, the hole is stopped. Despite 

 the darkness in which It found itself, the grub 

 has thought fit to seal up its cell. 



In small jars packed full of provisions, I 

 bring up larvae taken from their native pear. 

 A pit is dug In the mass of foodstuffs, ending 

 at the bottom in a hemisphere. This 

 cavity, representing about the half of the 

 pear, will be the artificial cell given in 

 exchange for the natural one. I put the 

 grubs on which I am experimenting into 

 separate cells. The change of residence 

 produces no appreciable anxiety. Finding 

 the food of my selecting very much to their 

 taste, they bite into the walls with their 

 customary appetite. Exile in no way per- 

 turbs those stoical stomachs; and my 

 attempts at breeding are pursued unchecked. 

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