Onthophagi and Oniticelli 



sheathed in a notch in the corselet; a third, 

 O. furcatus, wields a trident; yet another, O. 

 nuchicornis, owns a dagger with a winged 

 handle; and again O. ccenibota sports a 

 cavalryman's sword. The worst-equipped 

 crown their foreheads with a transversal 

 crest, with a pair of cornicles. 



What is the good of this panoply? Are 

 we to look upon it as a set of tools, pick-axes, 

 mattocks, pitchforks, spades, levers, which 

 the insect might ply in digging? By no 

 means. The only industrial implements are 

 the shield and the legs, especially the fore- 

 legs. I have never discovered a Dung-beetle 

 of any sort making use of her weapons 

 either to excavate her burrow or to mix up 

 her provisions. Besides, as a rule, the direct- 

 ion of the things alone would prevent their 

 employment as utensils. For a digging-job 

 performed forwards, what would you have a 

 Spanish Copris do with her pick-axe, which 

 points backwards? The powerful horn does 

 not face the obstacle attacked; it turns its 

 back upon it. 



The Minotaur's trident, though arranged 

 in a suitable direction, likewise remains un- 

 employed. When deprived of this armour 

 with a clip of my scissors, the Beetle loses 

 none of his mining-talents; he goes under- 



265 



