First Attempts at Observation 



Minotaur in this cage, where he will have 

 plenty of flying-room, choice victuals and sun- 

 light. Next morning, in spite of all these 

 luxuries, I find him lying on his back, with 

 his legs stiff and stark. He is dead. The 

 gallant fellow, having fulfilled his duties as 

 the father of a family, felt his strength fail- 

 ing him; and this was the cause of his rest- 

 lessness. He was anxious to go and die by 

 himself, far away, so as not to defile the 

 home with a corpse and trouble the widow 

 in her subsequent operations. I admire this 

 stoical resignation on the insect's part. 



If it were an isolated, casual instance, re- 

 sulting perhaps from a defective installation, 

 there would be no reason to dwell upon the 

 Beetle who met with his death in my appara- 

 tus. But here is something that complicates 

 matters. In the open fields, when May is 

 at hand, I often happen upon Minotaurs 

 shrivelling in the sun; and these corpses are 

 those of males, always males, with very few 

 exceptions. 



Another and a very significant detail is 

 supplied by a cage in which I several times 

 tried to rear the insect. As the bed of soil, 

 some eighteen inches thick, was not deep 

 enough, the prisoners absolutely refused to 

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