The Spanish Copris: the Mother 



beetles, including the uncouth Geotrupes,^ I 

 wonder whether it is not rather the result 

 of a mere exudation accumulating on the 

 walls in a sort of dew, the fluid quintessence 

 filtering through the porous matter. 



The Copris mother lent herself to observa- 

 tion better than any of the others. I have 

 many times surprised her at the moment 

 when, hoisted on her round pill, she excavates 

 the top in the form of a cup ; and I have never 

 seen anything that at all suggests a disgorge- 

 ment. The cavity of the bowl, which I lose 

 no time in examining, is just like the rest. 

 Perhaps I have missed the favourable 

 moment. In any case, I can take only a 

 brief glance at the mother's occupations: 

 all work ceases as soon as I raise the card- 

 board sheath to give light. Under these 

 conditions, the secret might escape me in- 

 definitely. Let us look at the difficulty from 

 another angle and enquire whether some 

 special milk-food, elaborated in the mother's 

 stomach, is necessary for the infant larva. 



In one of my cages, I rob a Sacred Beetle 

 of her round pill, lately fashioned and briskly 

 rolled. I strip it at one point of its earthy 

 layer and into this clean point I drive the 



1 Cf. Chapters XII. to XIV. of the present volume.— 

 Translator's Note. 



223 



