CHAPTER III 



THE SACRED BEETLE: THE BALL 



'TT^HERE Is no need to return to the 

 -■• Sacred Beetle working in the daylight 

 or consuming his booty underground, either 

 alone, as usually happens, or in the com- 

 pany of a guest: what I have said about 

 this in a former chapter is enough; and 

 further observations would give no new in- 

 formation of special interest. There is only 

 one point which deserves attention. This 

 is the method of constructing the spherical 

 pellet, consisting merely of provisions which 

 the Beetle collects for his own use and con- 

 veys to an underground dining-room ex- 

 cavated at a convenient spot. My present 

 cages, which are much better-arranged than 

 those which I had at first, enable us to watch 

 the operation at our leisure; and this opera- 

 tion will furnish data which will be of the 

 greatest value later in explaining the myster- 

 ious structure of the nest. Let us then once 

 more watch the Sacred Beetle as he busies 

 himself with his victuals. 



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