Tumble-Dung Beetle. 273 



are perfectly free from soil. The fur and hair of beasts, in 

 a state of liberty and health, is never filthy or sullied with 

 dirt. Some birds roll themselves in dust, and, occasionally, 

 particular beasts cover themselves with mire ; but this is not 

 from any liking or inclination for such things, but to free 

 themselves from annoyances, or to prevent the bites of insects. 

 Whether birds in preening, and beasts in dressing themselves, 

 be directed by any instinctive faculty, we know not ; but 

 they evidently derive pleasure from the operation, and thus 

 this feeling of enjoyment, even if the sole motive, becomes to 

 them an essential source of comfort and of health."* 



The rose or green chafer (Cetonia anrata), which is one of 

 our prettiest native insects, is one of the burrowers, and, for 

 the purpose of depositing her eggs, digs, about the middle of 

 June, into soft light ground. When she is seen at this 

 operation, with her broad and delicate wings folded up in 

 their shining green cases, speckled with white, it could 

 hardly be imagined that she had but just descended from the 

 air, or dropped down from some neighbouring rose. 



The proceedings of the Tumble-Dung Beetle of America 

 (Scarabceus pilularius, LINN.) are described in a very interest- 

 ing manner by Catesby, in his * Carolina.' ** I have," says 

 he, " attentively admired their industry, and mutual assisting 

 of each other in rolling their globular balls from the place 

 where they made them to that of their interment, which is 

 usually the distance of some yards, more or less. This they 

 perform breech foremost, by raising their hind parts, and 

 forcing along the ball with their hind feet. Two or three of 

 them are sometimes engaged in trundling one ball, which, 

 from meeting with impediments on account of the unevenness 

 of the ground, is sometimes deserted by them. It is, how- 

 ever, attempted by others with success, unless it happens to 

 roll into some deep hollow or chink, where they are con- 

 strained to leave it ; but they continue their work by rolling 

 off the next ball that comes in their way. None of them 



* Journal of a Nut u ralist, p. 311. 



