246 THE PILL CHAFER. 



its manners is one of the most remarkable of the 

 beetle tribe. It comes forth in April, and \s to be 

 seen till about September, when it disappears. Its 

 almost constant employment, in which indeed it is 

 indefatigable, is in the different operations neces- 

 sary to continue its species. It provides a proper 

 nidus for its eggs by forming round pellets of 

 dung, in the middle of each of which it deposits an 

 egg. These, in September, the insects convey 

 to the depth of about three feet into the ground. 

 Here they remain till the approach of spring, when 

 the grubs burst their shell, and find their way to the 

 surface of the earth. 



" I have attentively admired their industry, and 

 mutual assisting of each other (says Catesby) in rol- 

 ling these globular balls from the place where they 

 made them to that of their interment, which is usu- 

 ally the distance of some yards, more or less. This 

 they perform breech foremost, by raising their hind 

 parts, and forcing along the ball with their hind feet. 

 Two or three of them are sometimes engaged in 

 trundling one ball, which, from meeting with impe- 

 diments, on account of the unevenness of the ground, 

 is sometimes deserted by them. It is, however, at- 

 tempted by others with success, unless it happen to 

 roll into some deep hollow or chink, where they are 

 constrained to leave it; but they continue their work 

 by rolling off the next ball that comes in their way. 

 None of them seem to know their own balls, but 

 an equal care for the whole appears to effect all the 

 community. They form these pellets while the dung 

 remains moist, and leave them to harden in the sun 



