The Sacred Beetle and Others 



described, but they had never discovered 

 anything hke it. They handed me a few 

 pellets found underground v/ith the Beetle, 

 but these were simply masses of provisions, 

 containing no larva. I explained matters 

 anew and made another appointment for the 

 following Thursday. Again the search was 

 unsuccessful. The disheartened little hunt- 

 ers were now ^educed to quite a small 

 number. I made a final appeal to their 

 sportsmanship and perseverance; but no- 

 thing came of it. And I ended by com- 

 pensating the most industrious, those who 

 had held out to the last, and cancelling the 

 bargain. I had to conduct my own re- 

 searches, which, though apparently very 

 simple, were in reality extremely difficult. 



Many years have passed since then, but 

 even today I am without any definite, con- 

 sistent result after all my digging and ex- 

 ploring, though I have made my examina- 

 tions at the most likely spots and have care- 

 fully watched for favourable opportunities. 

 I am reduced to piecing together my in- 

 complete observations and filling up the gaps 

 by analogy.^ The little that I have seen, 



1 This seems the place in which to remind the reader that 

 the first two chapters of the present volume correspond with 

 Chapters I. and II. of the first volume of the Souvenirs 



48 



