More Beetles 



and make the very utmost of the brief time at 

 their disposal. 



So far, all is well. Had they learnt their 

 trade in the school of the centuries, through 

 experiments of their own devising which 

 proved successful from time to time, they 

 would behave no differently. But now 

 things begin to go awry. There is a reverse 

 to the medal which proclaims the contrary 

 of what we read on the obverse. 



The cake that has just been prepared is the 

 ration of one grub, absolutely of one alone. 

 The prosperity of the race calls for more. 

 Well, what happens? This, that the father 

 leaves the house as soon as the first ration is 

 prepared; the assistant deserts the baker and 

 goes off to die at a distance. The excava- 

 tions made in the meadows at the beginning 

 of April always give me the two sexes : the 

 father at the top of the house, engaged in 

 shaping the pellets; the mother down at the 

 bottom, working on the stacked provisions. 

 A little later, the mother, is always alone: 

 the father has disappeared. 



As the laying is not over, the survivor has 



to continue the work unaided. True, the 



deep burrow, which cost so much time and 



trouble, is ready; so is the cell of the first- 



160 



