The Sacred Beetle and Others 



most entirely. All that remains is a thin 

 layer, a crumbling remnant which would 

 provide no security for the nymph. The 

 ruined dwelling has to be strengthened, to be 

 lined with a new wall. For this purpose, the 

 larva of the Oniticellus empties the whole of 

 its knapsack and gives its cell a complete 

 coating of cement, after the manner of the 

 Sacred Beetle and others. 



The grub of the different species of 

 Onthophagi does more artistic work. Pla- 

 cing its putty drop by drop, it constructs a 

 mosaic of lightly-projecting scales, suggest- 

 ing those of a cedar-cone. When finished, 

 well dried and stripped of the last shreds of 

 the original thimble, the shell thus obtained 

 by the Bull Onthophagus is the size of an 

 average filbert and resembles the pretty cone 

 of the alder-tree. The imitation is so good 

 that I was taken in by it the first time that 

 I handled the curious product when digging 

 In my cages. It needed the contents of the 

 mock alder-cone to show me my mistake. 

 The hump has an artfulness of its own: it 

 was keeping this elegant specimen of ster- 

 coral jewellery in reserve for us. 



The nymph of the Onthophagi provides 

 us with another surprise. My observations 

 are confined to two species only: the Bull 



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