54 INSECT ARTIZANS AND THEIR WORK 



excavates deep burrows on heaths and carries down 

 rabbit and sheep dung to feed upon. 



The smaller beetles of the genus Aphodius share 

 with Geotrufes the habit of sinking shafts and 

 burying dung for the benefit of their future progeny. 

 We have seen these beetles to the number of 

 hundreds swarming on a patch of cow dung, and 

 on returning that way a few hours later found 

 scarcely a beetle, but the patch closely riddled with 

 perforations corresponding with as many shafts 

 beneath, in which the beetles were no doubt very 

 busy. 



Many other beetles may be considered as miners 

 from the fact that they spend part of the day under- 

 ground ; but as a rule they take advantage of 

 crevices already existing. There are some, however, 

 that make definite burrows for themselves. As an 

 example of these mention may be made of the 

 Cockchafer or May-bug {Melolontha vulgaris) which, 

 after spending about three years underground as 

 grub and chrysalis, and enjoying a brief spell as a 

 creature of the air, during which time she inflicts 

 serious damage on the foliage of trees, at length 

 enters the ground again to deposit her eggs. 



She sinks a shaft to a depth of six or eight inches, 

 not going below the layer of vegetable mould in 

 which the roots of plants run. At the bottom of 

 the burrow she lays a batch of oval yellow eggs 

 to the number of thirty or forty. These hatch 

 in about a month, and at first the grubs feed upon 

 the decaying vegetable matter they find around. 



