74 THE LIFE AND LOVE OF THE INSECT 



the summit, which tapers a little and lengthens out. In 

 this way, an ovoid with the small end uppermost replaces 

 the original sphere. Under the more or less projecting 

 nipple is the hatching-chamber, with the egg. Twenty- 

 four hours more are spent in this minute work. Total : 

 four times round the clock and sometimes longer to con- 

 struct the sphere, hollow it out basin wise, lay the egg 

 and shut it in by transforming the sphere into an ovoid. 



The insect goes back to the cut loaf and helps itself to a 

 second slice, which, by the same manipulations as before, 

 becomes an ovoid sheltering an egg. The surplus suffices 

 for a third ovoid, pretty often even for a fourth. I 

 have never seen this number exceeded when the mother 

 had at her disposal only the materials which she had 

 heaped up in the burrow. 



The laying is over. Here is the mother in her retreat, 

 which is almost filled by the three or four cradles standing 

 one against the other, with their poles jutting upwards. 

 What will she do now ? Go away, no doubt, to recruit 

 her strength a little out of doors, after a prolonged fast. 

 He who thinks this is mistaken. She remains. And 

 yet she has eaten nothing since she came underground, 

 taking good care not to touch the loaf, which, divided 

 into equal portions, will be the food of the family. The 

 Copris is touchingly scrupulous in the matter of the 

 inheritance : she is a devoted mother, who braves hunger 

 lest her offspring should starve. 



She braves it for a second reason : to mount guard 

 around the cradles. From the end of June onwards, 

 the burrows are hard to find, because the mole-hills 

 disappear through the action of some storm, or the wind, 

 or the feet of the passers-by. The few which I succeed 

 in discovering always contain the mother dozing beside a 



