THE BEETLE, 201 



Industry and operations. 



main till the approach of spring, when the grubs 

 burst their shell, and find their way to the sur- 

 face of the earth. They are very industrious, 

 mutually assisting each other in rolling these 

 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 meet- 

 ing with impediments, on account of the uneven- 

 ness of the ground, is sometimes deserted by 

 them. It is, however, attempted by others with 

 success, unless it happen to roll into some deep 

 hollow or chink, where they are constrained to 

 leave it ; but they continue their work by rolling 

 off the next ball that comes in their way. None 

 of them seem to know their own balls, but an 

 equal care for the whole appears to affect all the 

 community. They form these pellets while the 

 dung remains moist, and leave them to harden 

 in the sun before they attempt to roil them. In 

 their moving of them from place to place, both 

 they and the balls may frequently be seen tum- 

 bling about over the little eminences that are in 

 their way. They are not, however, easily dis- 

 couraged; and, by repeating their attempts, 

 usually surmount the difficulties. 



These insects are said to be so exceedingly 

 strong and active as to move about with the- 



VOL. VI. NO. 43. % C 



