THE SISYPHUS BEETLE 137 



botanical instinct of the mother needs no assistance. 

 At the period of laying the father would be in the 

 way. Let him pursue his flirtations elsewhere ; the 

 laying of eggs is a serious business. 



In the case of the majority of insects the process 

 of education is unknown, or summary in the extreme. 

 The insect has only to select a grazing-ground upon 

 which its family will establish itself the moment it 

 is hatched ; or a site which will allow the young to 

 find their proper sustenance for themselves. There is 

 no need of a father in these various cases. After 

 mating, the discarded male, who is henceforth useless, 

 drags out a lingering existence of a few days, and 

 finally perishes without having given the slightest 

 assistance in the work of installing his offspring. 



But matters are not everywhere so primitive as this. 

 There are tribes in which an inheritance is prepared 

 for the family which will assure it both of food and 

 of shelter in advance. The Hymenoptera in particular 

 are past-masters in the provision of cellars, jars, and 

 other utensils in which the honey-paste destined for 

 the young is stored ; they are perfect in the art of 

 excavating store-houses of food for their grubs. 



This stupendous labour of construction and provision- 

 ing, this labour that absorbs the insect's whole life, is 

 the work of the mother only, who wears herself out 

 at her task. The father, intoxicated with sunlight, lies 

 idle on the threshold of the workshop, watching the 

 heroic female at her work, and regards himself as 

 excused from all labour when he has plagued his 

 neighbours a little. 



Does he never perform useful work ? Why does he 



