THE DORR BEETLE. 319 



walks the murmuring passage, and are often 

 stricken by the heedless flight, of the great dorr 

 beetle (scarabaeus stercorarius) , clocks*, as the 

 boys call them. But this evening my attention 

 was called to them in particular by the constant 

 passing of such a number as to constitute something 

 like a little stream ; and I was led to search into 

 the object of their direct flight, as in general it is 

 irregular and seemingly inquisitive. I soon found 

 that they dropped on some recent nuisance : but 

 what powers of perception must these creatures 

 possess, drawn from all distances and directions by 

 the very little fetor, which in such a calm evening 

 could be diffused around ! and by what incon- 

 ceivable means could odours reach this beetle in 

 such a manner as to rouse so inert an insect into 

 action ! But it is appointed one of the great 

 scavengers of the earth, and marvellously endowed 

 with powers of sensation, and means of effecting 



* Multitudes of words are retained in our language derived from 

 very ancient dialects, and possibly the name " clock," as given to 

 this beetle, conveying no meaning to our present comprehensions, 

 is a corruption of some syllable in former use. Its subterranean 

 residence might have been signified by the old word " cloax," a 

 vault, a creature from below. Or, burrowing in filth and ordure, 

 as it does, the epithet " clocca," the offspring of a common shore, 

 or jakes, would not have been insignificant of its origin and habits. 

 Fancy, too, playing with trifles, amuses itself in bandying about 

 even its more general appellative, dorr. In old times a " dorr" 

 was a stupid, blundering fellow ; and " to dorr," was to din, or 

 trouble with noise ; both meanings applicable to the heedless flight, 

 and loud noise, made in all the transits of this dung beetle. 



