First Attempts at Observation 



with valuable details. On combining the 

 facts collected by means of the two methods, 

 I obtain the following data. 



The father goes out and selects a pellet 

 whose length is greater than the diameter 

 of the pit. He conveys it to the mouth, 

 either backwards, by dragging it with his 

 fore-feet, or straight ahead, by rolling it 

 with little thrusts of his clypeus. He reaches 

 the edge of the hole. Will he fling the lump 

 down the precipice with one last push? 

 Not at all: he has plans that are incompat- 

 ible with a violent fall. 



He enters, clasping the pellet with his legs 

 and taking care to insert it by one end. On 

 reaching a certain distance from the bottom, 

 he has only to slant the piece slightly to 

 make it find a support at its two ends against 

 the walls of the shaft: this because of the 

 greater length of its main axis. He thus 

 obtains a sort of temporary flooring able to 

 bear the load of two or three pellets. The 

 whole forms the workshop in which the 

 father will perform his task without dis- 

 turbing the mother, who is herself engaged 

 below. It is the mill whence will be lowered 

 the meal for making the cakes. 



The miller is well-equipped for his work. 

 119 



