SUri'LEIMENT, &c. 505 



are strong, and armed with three or four dentieulations, and 

 pushes it in. It is in the commencement of Spring that those 

 insects are observed to roll their pills. They serve both as 

 food and lodging for the larva which issues from the egg. 

 Sometimes many of them unite together, and roll in common. 

 It happens pretty often, that during this labour, one of them 

 loses its equilibrium, rolls down on one side, and the ball 

 upon the other, and during the time that it takes to rise, the 

 ball becomes the property of the first that can seize it. As 

 soon as it has contrived to replace itself upon its feet, it pro- 

 ceeds in search of another pill, to supply the place of that 

 which it has lost. If it can find none, it sets to work anew 

 with indefatigable ardour in the formation of another. These 

 insects are not very firm on their anterior feet and when on 

 their back, have considerable difficulty in rising, but they 

 fly tolerably well. 



The Ateuchus sacer, has been so named because it formed 

 an object of religious veneration among the ancient Egyp- 

 tians. Its image is often to be met with amongst their hiero- 

 glyphics, and was symbolical of the world, the sun, and a 

 courageous warrior. It was symbolical of the world, accord- 

 ing to P. Valerianus, on account of the globular shape of 

 its pills of dung, and from an odd notion that they were 

 rolled from sunrise to sunset ; of the sun, in consequence of 

 the angular projections from its head similar to rays, and the 

 thirty articulations of the six tarsi of its feet answering to the 

 days of the month. It was considered the symbol of a Avar- 

 rior, from a most absurd idea that all these insects were of the 

 male sex only. It was in consequence of this last symbol, 

 that the Roman soldiers wore its imao^e on their signets. Dr. 

 Clark informs us, that as typical of the sun, the source of 

 fertility, it is still eaten by the women to render them pro- 

 lific. The attention of these insects, as well as that of other 

 Scaraboeida^ to their eggs, is so remarkable, that it attracted 



