The Sacred Beetle and Others 



the most frequent of all. Without the 

 intervention of any ravager, whether animal 

 or plant, the pear pretty often peels of its 

 own accord, swells and tears. Is this due 

 to a reaction in the outer layer, which was 

 too tightly pressed by the mother when 

 modelling? Is it due to an attempt at 

 fermentation? Or is it not rather the result 

 of a contraction sirnilar to that of clay, which 

 splits in drying? All three causes might 

 very well play their part. 



But, without saying anything positive on 

 this point, I will draw attention to certain 

 deep fissures which seem to threaten the soft 

 bread with desiccation, inadequately pro- 

 tected as it is by the cracked jar. Have 

 no fear that these spontaneous breaches will 

 do any harm: the larva will soon put them 

 right. In the distribution of gifts, it was 

 not for nothing that the trowel and putty 

 were awarded to the Sacred Beetle's grub. 



We will now give a brief description of 

 the larva, without stopping to enumerate the 

 articulations of the palpi and antennae, 

 which are wearisome details of no immediate 

 interest. It is a fat grub and has a fine, 

 white skin, with pale slate-coloured reflect- 

 ions proceeding from the digestive organs, 



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