More Beetles 



stored away, say an average of a little over 

 two in the twenty-four hours. In all, ten 

 days' harvesting and two dozen morsels to 

 manufacture the sausage which will form the 

 ration of one grub. 



Let us try to catch a glimpse of the 

 couple's behaviour in private. In this con- 

 nection I can have recourse to two methods, 

 which, if employed in alternation and with 

 perseverance, may give me the much-desired 

 spectacle in a fragmentary form. In the 

 first place, there is a large tripod. The 

 narrow column of earth affords, as we know, 

 incidental peep-holes, situated at different 

 heights. I avail myself of these to take a 

 glance at what happens inside. In the sec- 

 ond place, a perpendicular, uncovered tube, 

 the same which I used when investigating 

 the climbing, receives a couple removed from 

 the ground a few hours before, while actively 

 engaged on preparing the foodstuffs. 



I quite expect that my device will fail to 

 have any lasting effect. Soon demoralized 

 by the peculiarity of their new residence, 

 the two insects will refuse to work, will be- 

 come restless and wish to get away. No 

 matter: before their nest-building ardour 

 dies down, they may be able to supply me 

 118 



