COLEOPTERA. 



471 



Necrophori sink it still lower as far as from seven to ten inches below 

 the surface. They then mount it, cast the earth down into the grave 

 so as to fill it, and the females lay their eggs in the tomb, where the 

 larvae will find an abundance of food. When the ground is too hard 

 to be dug, the Necrophori push the carcase further, till they find 



Fig. 460. Burying Beetles (Necrophorus vespilld) interring the body of a rat. 



permeable soil. A mole has been run through with a stick, or else 

 tied by a string, to see how the Necrophori would get over the 

 difficulty. They scooped out the soil underneath the stick, and 

 cut through the string, and the mole was buried in spite of the 

 obstacles. Fig. 460 represents a troop of Necrophori burying a 

 small rat. 



The Necrophorus vespillo (Fig. 461) is variegated with yellow and 



