The Geotrupes: Nest-building 



sorry means of information at our disposal. 

 One idea occurs to us at once : may there not 

 be some connection between the male's supe- 

 rior size and his liking for hard work? En- 

 dowed with greater robustness and vigour 

 than the mother, he who is usually so lazy has 

 become a zealous helper; the love of work 

 has come from a superabundance of unspent 

 strength. 



Take care: this apparent explanation will 

 not hold water. The two sexes of the Mimic 

 Geotrupes scarcely differ in size; the advan- 

 tage is often even in the female's favour; and 

 nevertheless the male lends assistance to his 

 companion: he is as eager a well-sinker, as 

 energetic a presser as his big stercoraceous 

 kinsman. 



And here is a still more conclusive argu- 

 ment: among the Anthidia,^ those Bees who 

 weave cotton-stuffs or knead resin, the male, 

 though much larger than the female, is an 

 absolute idler. He, so strong, so stout of 

 limb, take part in the work! Never! Let 

 the mother, the feeble mother, wear herself 

 out while he, powerful fellow that he is, 

 frolics among the speedwell and the lavender. 



It is not physical strength, therefore, that 



1 Cf. Bramble-bees and Others: chaps, ix. and x.— 

 Translator's Note. 



315 



