THE LOVES OF THE INSECl'S. 297 



gence or mental action to the crab than we know 

 to he exhibited by various insects — the bee, the 

 ant, the hornet, wasp, and spider. Mr. Gardner's 

 observation on the ^^ shore crab" and the shells, 

 shows in the crab a reasoning ijower based on a 

 necessity for precautionary measures in regard to 

 moving other shells to a distance because one 

 had ftillen into the hole that the crab was making. 

 Leaving out the wondrous instincts and almost 

 reasoning powers exhibited by the insects I have 

 named, I will match their actions and those of 

 all the crustaceans put together by what I myself 

 witnessed on the heath near Bournemouth while 

 watching a beetle. 



I am not entomologist enough to name the 

 beetle, but he was nearly as long as a moderately- 

 sized was}), but thinner, and his sides were red, 

 his shoulders of a brownish black, and the portion 

 of his figure below his waist was of a brownish 

 grey. Lying down on the heath above Bourne- 

 mouth, and resting on folded arms, my face to 

 the heather, I saw this beetle carrying that which, 

 from their relative sizes, seemed to me to be a 

 heavy burden, with great sjoeed and curious 

 care ; so I watched his proceedings with interest, 



