The Spanish Copris: the Eggs 



edges slit by the penknife are brought to- 

 gether and soldered. The small amount of 

 stuff lost is replaced by scrapings taken from 

 the sides. In a very short time, the breach Is 

 so neatly repaired that not a trace remains of 

 my onslaught. 



I repeat It, making the danger graver and 

 attacking all four pills with my desecrating 

 penknife, which cuts right through the 

 hatching-chamber and leaves the egg only 

 an incomplete shelter under the gaping roof. 

 The mother's counter-move Is swift and 

 effective. In one brief spell of work every- 

 thing is put right again. Yes, I can quite 

 believe that with this vigilant supervisor, 

 who never sleeps except with one eye open, 

 there is no possibility of the cracks and the 

 puffiness which so often disfigure the Sacred 

 Beetle's pear. 



Four pills containing eggs are all that I 

 have been able to obtain from the big loaf 

 which I took from the burrow at the time 

 of the nuptials. Does this mean that the 

 Copris can lay only that number? I think 

 so. I even believe that usually there are 

 less, three, two, or possibly only one. My 

 boarders, installed In separate potfuls of sand 

 at nesting-time, did not reappear on the 

 surface once they had stored away the 



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