18 THE HUMANIZING OF THE BRUTE. 



In studying the first group of instinctive actions, 

 those by which animals nourish themselves and their 

 progeny, we are struck by two main facts: the peculiar 

 fitness of the nourishment for the digestive organs of 

 the animal and the appropriate manner in which it is 

 procured. I^et us take as an example the develop- 

 ment of the beetle Sitaris humeralis (muralis), which 

 has been so admirably described by the French natur- 

 alist Fabre. x ) In its first larval stage this interesting 

 blister-beetle of the family of the Meloidae cannot live 

 except on the egg of a bee, whereas the indispensable 

 food of the second stage is honey , which would have 

 been virulent poison to the beetle in its earliest exist- 

 ence. The following organs are at the disposal of our 

 beetle to secure possession of the egg: six strong legs, 

 well adapted for climbing and clinging to other objects, 

 fully developed mandibles and feelers, and finally good 

 eyes. But after the transformation of the first larval 

 stage into the second, the wormlike grub is blind 

 and has almost lost its legs and feelers, but is endowed 

 with a large mouth admirably adapted for sipping the 

 honey which is necessary for its subsistence in this 

 second stage of development. The spot where Sitaris 

 first beholds the light of day is near the entrance of 

 the bee's habitation. The larva is hatched toward the 

 end of September or early in October, and remains 

 quietly on the same spot throughout the winter with- 

 out any food until the bee leaves its home in early 

 spring. Then the moment for action has arrived, and 

 it is highly interesting to observe how our beetle pro- 

 cures its suitable nourishment in the most appropriate 

 manner. 



') J. H. Fabre, Nouveaux Souvenirs Entomologiqnes, 

 Paris, 1882, Vol. II., p. 262. 



