THE SACRED BEETLE 9 



too have five teeth on the outside. So if a vigorous effort be 

 needed to remove some obstacle the Scarab makes use of his 

 elbows, that is to say he flings his toothed legs to right and 

 left, and clears a space with an energetic sweep. Then he 

 collects armfuls of the stuff he has raked together, and pushes 

 it beneath him, between the four hinder-legs. These are long 

 and slender, especially the last pair, slightly bowed and 

 finished with a sharp claw. The Beetle then presses the 

 stuff against his body with his hind-legs, curving it and spin- 

 ning it round and round till it forms a perfect ball. In a 

 moment a tiny pellet grows to the size of a walnut, and soon 

 to that of an apple. I have seen some gluttons manufacture 

 a ball as big as a man's fist. 



When the ball of provisions is ready it must be moved to 

 a suitable place. The Beetle begins the journey. He clasps 

 the ball with his long hind-legs and walks with his fore-legs, 

 moving backwards with his head down and his hind-quarters 

 in the air. He pushes his load behind him by alternate thrusts 

 to right and left. One would expect him to choose a level 

 road, or at least a gentle incline. Not at all ! Let him find 

 himself near some steep slope, impossible to climb, and that 

 is the very path the obstinate creature will attempt. The 

 ball, that enormous burden, is painfully hoisted step by step, 

 with infinite precautions, to a certain height, always back- 

 wards. Then by some rash movement all this toil is wasted : 

 the ball rolls down, dragging the Beetle with it. Once more 

 the heights are climbed, and another fall is the result. Again 

 and again the insect begins the ascent. The merest trifle 

 ruins everything ; a grass-root may trip him up or a smooth 

 bit of gravel make him slip, and down come ball and Beetle, 

 all mixed up together. Ten or twenty times he will start 

 afresh, till at last he is successful, or else sees the hopeless- 

 ness of his efforts and resigns himself to taking the level road. 



Sometimes the Scarab seems to enter into partnership 

 with a friend. This is the way in which it usually happens. 

 When the Beetle's ball is ready he leaves the crowd of workers, 



