The Sacred Beetle and Others 



the outer edge with strong teeth, five in 

 number. 



Without for a moment letting go of the 

 kernel, which is held in his four hind-legs, 

 more particularly those of the third, the 

 longest pair, the Beetle turns round slowly 

 from side to side on the top of his embryo 

 pellet and selects from the heap around 

 him the materials for increasing its size. 

 His sharp-edged 'forehead peels, cuts, digs 

 and rakes; his fore-legs work in unison, 

 gathering and drawing up an armful which 

 is at once placed upon the central mass and 

 patted down. A few vigorous applications 

 of the toothed shovels press the new layer 

 into position. And so, with armful after 

 armful carefully added on top, beneath and 

 at the sides, the original pill grows into a big 

 ball. 



While working, the builder never leaves 

 the dome of his edifice: he revolves on his 

 own axis, if he wants to give his attention 

 to any lateral part; to shape the lower 

 portion, he bends down to the point where it 

 touches the ground; but from beginning to 

 end the sphere never moves on its base and 

 the Beetle never relaxes his hold. 



To obtain a perfectly round form, we need 

 the potter's wheel, whose rotation makes up 



62 



