, THE SACRED BEETLE 21 



those which occur when the ball is rolling amid the 

 many inequalities of the ground, and the insect acts 

 as it would have acted in some circumstances where 

 I had not interfered. It uses its back as a wedge and 

 lever and pushes with its feet without at all varying 

 its means of action, even when it might call a 

 comrade to its help. 



If it has to face the difficulties of a ball nailed to 

 the ground with no assistant, its dynamic manoeuvres 

 are exactly the same, and it succeeds, so long as we 

 give the indispensable help of a platform gradually 

 built up. Should this help be refused, the Scarabseus, 

 no longer stimulated by the touch of its beloved ball, 

 loses hope, and sooner or later, no doubt with bitter 

 regret, flies off, whither I know not. What I do 

 know is, that it does not return with a squadron of 

 companions whom it has implored to help it. What 

 could it do with them, since it cannot utilise even the 

 single comrade when one shares the ball ? Perhaps, 

 however, an experiment which suspends the pellet at 

 a height inaccessible to the insect when its means of 

 action are exhausted may be too much outside of 

 ordinary conditions. Let us try a miniature ditch, 

 deep enough and steep enough to prevent a beetle 

 when placed at the bottom with its load from rolling 

 it up. These are the exact conditions named by 

 Blanchard and Illiger. What happens? When 

 persistent yet fruitless efforts show the beetle that it 

 can do nothing, it spreads its wings and flies off. 

 Long, very long have I waited, on the faith of what 

 these learned men say, expecting it to return with 

 its friends, but I have always waited in vain. 

 Often, too, many days later I have found the ball 



