THE TRAP A STONE IN IT. 103 



stance of difficulty and of patient, all-surmounting 

 exertion from the history of the insect before us. 

 M. Bonnet was curious to know what it would do 

 if a stone or some such obstacle were met with 

 in the process of its excavations, and one day had 

 the gratification of observing the behaviour of the 

 insect under these trying circumstances. Not 

 being able to cast it out with its head, the insect 

 determined to carry it out, if possible, on its back. 

 With this view it contrived by various manoeuvres 

 to place the stone upon its back and to balance it 

 there. This was the least difficult part of the un- 

 dertaking. The insect had to climb up an inclined 

 plane upon soil, chosen with other views purposely 

 by itself, as shifting and unsteady as possible, and 

 not only so, but to preserve the balance of the stone 

 with which it was encumbered. Undaunted by 

 these difficulties it made the attempt, but the first 

 step brought down a shower of sand, and tumbled 

 the little rock to the bottom. Again and again did 

 the heroic insect attempt the same feat, and with the 

 same ill success, and we might have thought we 

 beheld a realization of the fable of Sisyphus and 

 the rolling-stone, in the vain endeavours of the 

 insect to get rid of its encumbrance. Five or six 



