THE SACRED BEETLE 



At daybreak the next morning the shepherd and I went 

 out to investigate the matter. We met among the brows- 

 ing sheep, on some slopes that had lately been cleared 

 of trees. 



A Sacred Beetle's burrow is soon found : you can tell 

 it by the fresh little mound of earth above it. My com- 

 panion dug vigorously into the ground with my pocket 

 trowel, while I lay down, the better to see what was being 

 unearthed. A cave opened out, and there I saw, lying 

 in the moist earth, a splendid pear upon the ground. I 

 shall not soon forget my first sight of the mother Beetle's 

 wonderful work. My excitement could have been no 

 greater had I, in digging among the relics of ancient 

 Egypt, found the sacred insect carved in emerald. 



We went on with our search, and found a second hole. 

 Here, by the side of the pear and fondly embracing it, 

 was the mother Beetle, engaged no doubt in giving it 

 the finishing touches before leaving the burrow for good. 

 There was no possible doubt that the pear was the nest 

 of the Scarab. In the course of the summer I found at 

 least a hundred such nests. 



The pear, like the ball, is formed of refuse scraped 

 up in the fields, but the materials are less coarse, because 

 they are intended for the food of the grub. When it 

 comes out of the egg it is incapable of searching for its 



[17] 



