The Spanish Copris: the Eggs 



My cake is favourably received by the 

 Copris, who sets to work again, starts laying 

 anew and presents me with three of her 

 perfect ovoids, making seven in all, the great- 

 est number that I obtained in my various 

 attempts of this kind. A large piece of the 

 bun remains available. The Copris does not 

 utilize it, at least not for nest-building; she 

 eats it. The ovaries appear to be exhausted. 

 This much is proved: the pillaging of the 

 burrow provides space; and the mother, 

 taking advantage of it, nearly doubles the 

 number of her eggs with the aid of the cake 

 which I make for her. 



Under natural conditions nothing of a 

 similar kind can happen. There is no 

 obliging baker at hand, to shape and pat a 

 new cake and slip it into the oven that is the 

 Copris' cellar. Everything therefore tells 

 us that the stay-at-home Beetle, who makes 

 up her mind not to reappear until the cool 

 autumn days, is of very limited bearing- 

 capacity. Her family consists of three or 

 four at most. Occasionally, in the dog-days, 

 long after laying-time is past, I have even 

 dug up a mother watching over a solitary pill. 

 This one, perhaps for lack of provisions, 

 had reduced her maternal joys to the narrow- 

 est limits. 



209 



