The Burrow 



decipher in some small measure the obscur- 

 est book of all, the book of ourselves. 



Insects are easy to obtain, by no means 

 burdensome to feed and not repulsive when 

 subjected to a physical examination; and they 

 lend themselves far better than the higher 

 animals to our curious investigations. Be- 

 sides, the others are our near kinsfolk and 

 do but repeat a somewhat monotonous theme, 

 whereas insects, with their unparalleled 

 wealth of instincts, habits and structure, re- 

 veal a new world to us, much as though we 

 were conferring with the natives of another 

 planet. This is why I hold insects in such 

 high esteem and constantly renew my untir- 

 ing relations with them. 



Minotaurus Typhaeus affects the open 

 sandy places where the flocks of Sheep, on 

 their way to the pasture, scatter their trails 

 of black pellets, which constitute his daily 

 food. In their absence, he also accepts the 

 tiny products of the Rabbit, which are easy 

 to gather, for the timid rodent, perhaps 

 afraid of scattering broadcast the evidences 

 of his whereabouts, always goes to some ac- 

 customed spot surrounded by tufts of thyme, 

 to deposit his droppings. 

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