140 FABRE'S BOOK OF INSECTS 



cause him no concern ; one would even think he liked them. 

 After all, the ball has to be hardened and made of the right 

 consistency. And this being the case, bumps, falls, and 

 jolts are all part of the programme. This mad steeple-chasing 

 goes on for hours. 



At last the mother, regarding the work as completed, goes 

 off a little way in search of a suitable spot. The father mounts 

 guard, squatting on the treasure. If his companion's absence 

 be unduly long he relieves his boredom by spinning the ball 

 nimbly between his uplifted hind-legs. He treats his precious 

 pellet as a juggler treats his ball. He tests its perfect shape 

 with his curved legs, the branches of his compasses. No one 

 who sees him frisking in that jubilant attitude can doubt his 

 lively satisfaction the satisfaction of a father assured of 

 his children's future. 



' It is I,' he seems to say, ' I who kneaded this round loaf, 

 I who made this bread for my sons ! ' 



And he lifts on high, for all to see, this magnificent testi- 

 mony to his industry. 



Meanwhile the mother has chosen a site for the burrow. 

 A shallow pit is made, a mere beginning of the work. The 

 ball is rolled near it. The father, that vigilant guardian, does 

 not let go, while the mother digs with her legs and forehead. 

 Soon the hollow is big enough to hold the pellet. She insists 

 on having it quite close to her ; she must feel it bobbing up 

 and down behind her, on her back, safe from parasites, before 

 she decides to go farther. She is afraid of what might happen 

 to it if it were left on the edge of the burrow until the home 

 were completed. There are plenty of Midges and other such 

 insects to grab it. One cannot be too careful. 



The ball therefore is inserted, half in and half out of the 

 partly-formed basin. The mother, underneath, gets her legs 

 round it and pulls : the father, above, lets it down gently, 

 and sees that the hole is not choked up with falling earth. 

 All goes well. The digging is resumed and the descent con- 

 tinues, always with the same caution ; one of the insects 

 pulling the load, the other regulating the drop and clearing 



