The Geotrupes: Nest-building 



also she comes to relieve her husband in these 

 exhausting compressive operations. She her- 

 self Is strong, sturdy in the legs and capable 

 of working turn and turn about with her 

 valiant companion. 



However, her usual place Is at the top of 

 the gallery. I find her there at one time with 

 the armful which she has just gathered, at 

 another with a heap made up of several loads 

 placed In reserve for the work down below. 

 As and when It Is wanted, she draws upon the 

 heap and gradually carries the materials down 

 to be pressed by the male. 



Between this temporary warehouse and the 

 basin at the bottom there Is a long empty 

 space, the lower part of which supplies us 

 with another bit of information as to the 

 progress of the work. The walls are lavishly 

 coated with a wash extracted from the most 

 plastic portion of the materials. This detail 

 Is not without value. It tells us that, before 

 packing the food-sausage layer by layer, the 

 Insect begins by cementing the rough and 

 porous wall of the mould. It putties Its well 

 to protect the grub against the damp which 

 might ooze through In the rainy season. 

 Finding It Impossible by pressure to harden 

 the skin of the tightly-packed sausage to the 

 requisite degree, it adopts a means unknown 

 . 309 



