INTRODUCTION. 



shikar episode upon that of the 

 male members of the community, 

 aided by the imperturbable 

 native servant who thinks this 

 but another idiosyncrasy of the 

 never-to-be-understood sahib log. 

 And yet a curious interest at- 

 taches to these scavenger beetles, 

 for is not one of them the Scarabseus, the 

 famous Scarab of Egyptian mythology ? 

 Visit the tombs of the ancient Egyptians at 

 Sakkarah and Thebes and elsewhere and 

 examine the wonderful mural coloured 

 paintings which are as fresh to-day as they 

 were 4,000 5,000 years ago when they 

 were executed. Here you will see faithfully 

 portrayed the common Scarabagus beetle, 

 an insect as plentiful in the East of to-day 

 as it must have been in ancient Egyptian 

 times. Of such utility were the scaveng- 

 ing habits of this insect in Egypt that the 

 wise men of yore ensured 

 its protection by attaching 

 to it the sanctity of a saint ! 



9 



