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from the surface of the earth substances which putrefy and render 

 unpleasant, if not unhealthy, by their foul emanations, the pure 

 fresh air of our lields and lanes. One remarkable instance of 

 instinct, if not reasoning power, shown by the Burying Beetle, was 

 brought forcibly to our notice some time ago. While walking by 

 the side of the river Eden, we came across a dead rat, it had fallen 

 with its head just on the edge of a hole from which a stake had 

 been withdrawn. On partially raising the rat we discovered a pair 

 of the black and orange Burying Beetle (N. Vespillo) underneath; 

 the rat was carefully replaced, and the beetles left to continue their 

 work. On returning some six or seven hours after, the rat was still 

 in the same place, but had somewhat altered its position j its head 

 was hanging considerably down the hole, while the hinder parts 

 where much in the same place. On lifting the body the reason 

 was soon seen ; the beetles instead of undermining the body 

 equally all along its length, as is their usual custom, were neatly 

 digging away the edge of the existing hole, thus taking advantage 

 of it to make their work less. So that in a short time, if left un- 

 disturbed, the rat would have slid down an inclined plane to a 

 ready made grave. The query now comes, was it instinct or 

 reason that guided the beetles to this unusual method of burial, 

 thus easing their labours to a great extent ? At times, we believe, 

 there is no boundary line between the two. The perseverance and 

 industry of the Sexton Beetle is very great. In some experiments 

 carried out by M. Glaiditsch two pair of beetles succeeded in bury- 

 ing in a small piece of earth — and in a short time — four frogs, three 

 birds, two fishes, one mole, two grasshoppers, the entrails of a fish, 

 and two pieces of meat. A man would look rather surprised 

 if he were ordered to go and bury some huge animal forty or 

 fifty times as big as himself in two days, taking his pick 

 and tools. Yet a pair of beetles, armed with nothing but 

 their feet and head, will bury a rat, fully fifty times bigger than 

 themselves in a day. If the human race were endowed, in ratio, 

 with a tithe of the wonderful power of difterent insects, we should 

 live in a world of giants, as to strength. 



We have endeavoured to give you, in a rough niodel, an idea 



