72 FIELD AND FOREST. 



den disappearance of his prize, as if at loss to know what had become 

 of it ; suddenly recovering from his surprise, he tumbled down the pit 

 and reconnoitered the situation, and made strenuous efforts to push the 

 ball up and over the sides, but after five or six vain attempts he kept 

 perfectly still some seconds, when, I supposed he turned away in seem- 

 ing disgust, and about to abandon the ball. After some search he 

 found the shallow inclined side of the pit, and made his escape, I fol- 

 lowed him with my eyes across the lane, and concluded the abandoned 

 ball would remain in the pit. The delightful scenery from this point 

 of view and the balmy air, made me in no hurry to leave my position. 



Now comes the sequel, which was a new phase in a creature like the 

 beetle, which is certainly of a low order of instinct. Mr. Beetle came 

 with an assistant and that for a purpose ; these two creatures tugged 

 and toiled in pushing the coveted ball up the steep inclined plane, 

 three or four times, and when just on the upper verge, did the laws of 

 gravitation overcome their muscle, causing the ball to roll down to the 

 base with one of them clinging to it. I was about to aid them, as a 

 reward for their perseverance, when behold, nothing daunted, they 

 raised it to the verge, poised it, and out it came to the ordinary sur 

 face, and they trundeled it off in triumph to their place of destination. 



Can a beetle reason? does instinct suggest an idea to seek aid ? I 

 simply state a fact. A botanist and entomologist for thirty years — hav- 

 ing devoted much of my time to the natural sciences — will account for 

 the interest taken in the matter. — Jacob Stauffer, Lancaster, Fa. 



[Although Mr. S. speaks of the beetle as a ma/c it was doubtless a 

 female. — Ed.] 



The unprecedented (since 1776) mildness of the season has brought 

 into bloom several of the earlier flowering plants. 



Draba venia, Stellaria media, Capsella bursa-pastoris , and 'Taraxa- 

 cum Dens-leonis, have all exhibited infloresence during the first week 

 in January, 1876; a.\\d /as»ii!ium imdiflorum\\2&h&en in its glory of 

 golden stars ever since the year came in. 



This fine species is worthy of more general knowledge and cultiva- 

 tion than it has yet secured. It is a Japenese species, is perfectly 

 hardy here, and would doubtless prove so farther north, and is, in 

 this latitude, our earliest flowering plant of any conspicuous size. — 

 J. W. Chickering. 



