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THE BURYING BEETLE* 



This Insect is an inhabitant of the deserts of Tar- 

 tary, and several other parts of the continent, where 

 it is generally found under carcases that are dried 

 in the sun. Its shells are of an opake black colour, 

 striated, punctured, and somewhat rough. 



The best account that I have met with of the 

 manners of this interesting insect, is fromM. Gleditch, 

 a well known writer on natural history. This gen- 

 tleman had, at different times, observed that moles 

 which had been left upon the ground after they had 

 been killed, very unaccountably disappeared. He 

 therefore was determined to ascertain by experi- 

 ment, if possible, what could be the cause of this 

 singular occurrence. 



On the twenty-fifth of May, he accordingly ob- 

 tained a dead mole, which he placed on the moist 

 soft earth of his garden, and in two days he found it 

 sunk to the depth of four fingers' breadth into the 

 earth : it was in the same position in which he had 

 placed it, and its grave corresponded exactly with 

 the length and breadth of its body. The day follow- 

 ing, this grave was half filled up ; and he drew Out 

 the mole cautiously, which exhaled a horrible 

 stench, and found, directly under it, little holes in 

 which were four beetles of the present species. Dis- 

 covering at this time nothing but these beetles, he 



* Synonyms. — Scarabdusmorticini. Linn. Gmel. — Scarabdus siJ- 

 phoidcs ? Pallas h, ins. Ross, i. p. n. t. A. fig. u . 

 VOL. III. R 



