56 HISTORY OF INSECTS. 



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 hav- 

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

 they make their way out, and fly away. The eggs are 

 hatched in two days, and produce fat scaly grubs, which 

 run about with great activity ; these grubs grow excessively 

 fast, and very soon consume all that their parents had left. 

 As soon as they are full grown they cease eating, and bur- 

 rowing further in the earth become pupa?. The length of 

 time they remain in this state appears uncertain ; but when 

 arrived at the perfect state, they make round holes in the 

 ground, from which they come forth. There are several 

 beetles which possess this singular propensity to perform 

 the office of sexton, and are therefore equally deserving of 

 the name ; they may be readily obtained from the bodies of 

 dead animals, and are not unfrequently to be shaken from 

 a mole-tree. 



