THE ELEPHANT-BEETLE 247 



hole, she inspects her acorn, from above, below, before 

 and behind, with such meticulous care ? She is making 

 sure that the acorn is not already occupied. The larder 

 is amply stored, but it does not contain enough for two. 

 Never, in fact, have I found two larvae in the same 

 acorn. One only, always only one, digests the copious 

 meal and converts it into a greenish dust before leaving 

 it and descending to the ground. Only an insignificant 

 shell remains uneaten. The rule is, to each grub one 

 acorn. 



Before trusting the egg to the acorn it is therefore 

 essential to subject it to a thorough examination, to 

 discover whether it already has an occupant. This 

 possible occupant would be at the base of the acorn, 

 under the cover of the cup. Nothing could be more 

 secret than this hiding-place. Not an eye could divine 

 the inhabitant if the surface of the acorn did not bear the 

 mark of a tiny perforation. 



This mark, just visible, is my guide. Its presence tells 

 me that the acorn is inhabited, or at least that it has 

 been prepared for the reception of the egg ; its absence 

 tells me that the acorn has not yet been appropriated. 

 The elephant-beetle undoubtedly draws the same con- 

 clusions. 



I see matters from on high, with a comprehensive 

 glance, assisted at will by the magnifying-glass. I turn 

 the acorn between my fingers for a moment, and the 

 inspection is concluded. The beetle, investigating the 

 acorn at close quarters, is often obliged to scrutinise 

 practically the entire surface before detecting the tell- 

 tale spot. Moreover, the welfare of her family demands 

 a far more careful search than does my curiosity. This 



