138 THE LIFE AND LOVE OF THE INSECT 



artifices which it would take too long to set forth here. 

 The mother is at the bottom of the pit : she alone attacks 

 the workmg-face, she alone digs. The male keeps at the 

 back of his spouse. He gradually collects the rubbish 

 and makes a load of it which he lifts with his three- 

 pronged fork and hoists outside with much exhausting 

 labour. 



This is the moment to recapitulate Minotaurus' merits. 

 When the great colds are over, he sets out in quest of a 

 mate, buries himself with her and thenceforth remains 

 faithful to her, despite his frequent excursions out of 

 doors and the meetings to which these are likely to lead. 

 With indefatigable zeal, he assists the burrower, herself 

 destined never to leave her home until the emancipation 

 of the family. For a month and more, he loads the 

 rubbish of the excavation on his forked hod ; he hoists it 

 outside and remains ever patient, never disheartened by 

 his arduous feats of climbing. He leaves the compara- 

 tively easy work of the excavatmg rake to the mother 

 and keeps the more troublesome task, the exhausting 

 carriage through a narrow, very high and perpendicular 

 gallery, for himself. 



Next, the navvy turns himself into a collector of food- 

 stuffs ; he goes after provisions, he gathers the where- 

 withal for his sons to live upon. To facilitate the work 

 of his mate, who shreds, stratifies and compresses the 

 preserves, he once more changes his trade and becomes a 

 miller. At some distance from the bottom, he bruises 

 and crumbles the matter found hardened by the sun ; he 

 makes it into semolina and flour that gradually pour down 

 into the maternal bakery. Lastly, worn out by his efforts, 

 he leaves the house and goes to die outside, at a distance, 

 in the open air. He has gallantly performed his duty as 



