The Sisyphus: the Instinct of Paternity 



by himself and crouch in the sand near the 

 burrow. Detained below by duties in which 

 her companion can be of no assistance to 

 her, the mother usually postpones her ap- 

 pearance till the morrow. At last she 

 shows herself. The father leaves the place 

 where he was snoozing and joins her. The 

 reunited couple go back to the heap of 

 victuals, refresh themselves and then cut out 

 another piece, on which again the two work 

 together, both as regards the modelling and 

 the carting and storing. 



I am delighted with this conjugal fidelity. 

 That it is really the rule I dare not declare. 

 There must be flighty Beetles who, in the 

 hurly-burly under a spreading cake, forget 

 the first fair pastry-cook whom they helped 

 with her baking and devote themselves to 

 others, met by chance; there must be 

 temporary couples, who divorce each other 

 after producing a single pill. No matter: 

 the little that I have seen gives me a high 

 opinion of the Sisyphus' domestic habits. 



Let us recapitulate these habits before 

 passing on to the contents of the burrow. 

 The father works just as hard as the mother 

 at extracting and modelling the lump that is 

 to constitute a larva's dowry; he shares in 

 the carting, even though he plays a secondary 



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