The Sacred Beetle and Others 



walls of its lodging a food of special delicacy 

 which strengthens its digestion and enables 

 it afterwards to attack the coarse outer 

 layers. 



Where his own needs are concerned, the 

 Beetle is less particular and contents himself 

 with a very general sorting. The notched 

 shield then does its scooping and digging, its 

 casting aside and scraping together more or 

 less at random. The fore-legs play a mighty 

 part in the work. They are flat, bow- 

 shaped, supplied with powerful nervures and 

 armed on the outside with five strong teeth. 

 If a vigorous effort be needed to remove 

 an obstacle or to force a way through the 

 thickest part of the heap, the Dung-beetle 

 makes use of his elbows, that is to say, he 

 flings his toothed legs to right and left and 

 clears a semicircular space with an energetic 

 sweep. Room once made, a different kind 

 of work is found for these same limbs: they 

 collect armfuls of the stuff raked together by 

 the shield and push it under the insect's belly, 

 between the four hinder legs. These are 

 formed for the turner's trade. They are 

 long and slender, especially the last pair, 

 slightly bowed and finished with a very 

 sharp claw. They are at once recognized 

 as compasses, capable of embracing a globu- 



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