398 



ANIMAL LIFE-HISTORIES 



be traced by the heaving of the earth, which soon forms a 

 little rampart round the bird. As the earth is moved from be- 

 neath, and the surrounding rampart increases in height, the bird 

 sinks. After incessant labour for about three hours the beetle 

 emerges, crawls upon the bird, and takes a survey of his work. 

 If the female is on the bird she is driven away by the male, 

 who does not choose to be intruded on during the important 

 business. The male beetle then remains for about an hour 

 perfectly still, and does not stir hand or foot; he then dismounts, 

 dives again into the grave, and pulls the bird down by the 



feathers for half an 

 hour: its own weight 

 appears to sink it but 

 very little. At last, 

 after two or three 

 hours' more labour, 

 the beetle comes up, 

 again gets on the bird, 

 and again takes a sur- 

 vey, and then drops 

 down as though dead, 

 or fallen suddenly 

 fast asleep. When 

 sufficiently rested he 

 rouses himself, treads 

 the bird firmly into its grave, pulls it by the feathers this way 

 and that way, and, having settled it to his mind, begins to 

 shovel in the earth. This is done in a very short time by 

 means of his broad head. He goes behind a rampart of earth 

 and pushes it into the grave with amazing strength and dex- 

 terity, the head being bent directly downward at first, and then 

 the nose elevated with a kind of jerk which sends the earth 

 forwards. After the grave is thus filled up the earth is trodden 

 in, and undergoes another keen scrutiny all round, the bird 

 being completely hidden; the beetle then makes a hole in the 

 loose earth, and having buried the bird and his own bride, next 

 buries himself. The female having laid her eggs in the carcass 

 of the bird, in number proportioned to its size, and the pair having 

 eaten as much of the savoury viand as they please, they make 

 their way out and fly away." 



Fig. 918. Great Black Water -Beetle (Hydrophilus piceus}. a, Adult 

 female, and cocoon attached to leaf; b, cocoon opened to show the eggs; 

 c, young larva; d, full-grown larva. 



