i6 INSECT LIFE , 



hind feet upraised, his head downward. The helper 

 is in front, in a reverse position, head raised, toothed 

 arms on the ball, long hind legs on the ground. 

 Between the two moves the ball, pushed before it 

 by the one, dragged towards it by the other. The 

 efforts of the couple are not always harmonious, 

 especially as the assistant turns his back to the 

 road to be traversed, and the view of the owner is 

 bounded by his load. Hence repeated accidents 

 and ludicrous tumbles, taken cheerfully, each hasten- 

 ing to pick himself up and resume his former posi- 

 tion. On level ground this style of draught does 

 not answer to the expenditure of energy, for want 

 of precision in combined movements ; the Scarabaeus 

 behind would do as well or better alone, and the 

 assistant, having proved his goodwill at the risk of 

 disturbing the mechanism, decides to keep quiet of 

 course without abandoning the precious globe, which 

 he looks on as already his. A ball touched is a 

 ball acquired. He will not be so imprudent as to 

 let go ; the other would instantly take advantage of 

 it. So he folds his legs under him, flattens himself, 

 incrusts himself, as it were, on the ball, and becomes 

 part of it. Ball and beetle roll together, pushed 

 along by the lawful owner. Whether it should go 

 over the body of the other, whether he be above, 

 below, or on one side of the rolling load, matters not — 

 the intruder lies low. A singular helper this, who 

 lets himself be run over for the sake of a share in 

 the provender! But let them come to a steep 

 incline, and he gets a chance of displaying his useful- 

 ness. On the steep slope he takes the lead, holding 

 up the heavy load with his toothed feet while his 



