The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles 



corpse, goes round it, scratches a little at 

 random. He goes back; and immediately 

 the dead body rocks. Is he advising his col- 

 laborators of what he has discovered? Is 

 he arranging the work with a view to their 

 establishing themselves elsewhere, on pro- 

 pitious soil? 



The facts are far from confirming this 

 idea. When he shakes the body, the others 

 imitate him and push, but without combining 

 their efforts in a given direction, for, after 

 advancing a little towards the edge of the 

 brick, the burden goes back agaih, returning 

 to the point of departure. In the absence of 

 a concerted understanding, their efforts of 

 leverage are wasted. Nearly three hours 

 are occupied by oscillations which mutually 

 annul one another. The Mouse does not 

 cross the little sand-hill heaped about her by 

 the rakes of the workers. 



For the second time, a male appears and 

 makes a round of exploration. A boring is 

 effected in loose earth, close beside the brick. 

 This is a trial excavation, to learn the na- 

 ture of the soil, a narrow well, of no great 

 depth, into which the insect plunges to half 

 its length. The well-sinker returns to the 

 other workers, who arch their backs, and the 

 load progresses a finger's-breadth towards 

 322 



