PROVISIONS AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 97 



He placed his four posterior legs on the ball ; with 

 the two last, which were continually moving, he made 

 certain of the equilibrium of the mass; then resting 

 his head and two anterior feet on the ground he 

 pushed backwards, and with extreme rapidity. (Fig. 

 14.) There was enough for all ; each worker could 

 find the just reward for his labour ; I witnessed none 

 of the regrettable facts narrated by Fabre. It happens 

 sometimes, according to this ingenious observer, that 

 a cunning Scarabseus, who has taken no part in the 

 laborious labour of moulding the paste, arrives when 

 it is on the road to aid the convoy, or even simply to 

 pretend to help, in order that when the moment has 

 come he may claim a share in the coveted meal, or 

 even carry it all away if he can profit by a momentary 

 inattention on the part of the lawful proprietor. I 

 followed one of these Coleoptera for more than five 

 metres from the place where his labour began. After 

 having deposited his ball he began to dig up the earth 

 around it ;i but the mules had returned and I was 

 obliged to depart. 



I have no doubt that subsequent events were not 

 exactly the same as narrated by Fabre for the Scara- 

 baeus of Provence. The insect having made his hole, 

 buries himself in it for a tite d tete with the precious 

 sphere. He immediately sets about passing the 

 whole through his body. Without haste but with- 

 out rest, for a week or a fortnight, as long as 

 there is any of it left, he eats continuously, 

 and continuously digests. He does not stop for 

 a moment, his jaws are working the whole time ; 

 and Fabre has called attention to the fact that 



1 In captivity also, as Mrs. Brightwen found, the Scarab^us always 

 attempts to bury its ball in the earth. 



7 



