2 28 THE ADVENTURES OF 



kind. A fresh yelping and barking then resounded ; but this 

 time it was so near us that we halted. Gringalet dashed on 

 before us, and four children appeared, repulsing the dog with 

 cactus leaves in their hands, which they used as shields. 



"Well!" cried Sumichrast, "here we have the cayote, the 

 owl, and the dog, which have so puzzled us." 



My conipanion was not wrong : the young Indians were carry- 

 ing provisions to their elder brother, who was taking care of a 

 flock of goats. In order to enliven their journey, they amused 

 themselves by imitating the cries of different animals, and they 

 did it with so much accuracy that we had been completely duped. 



About three o'clock, my friend, who was anxious to prepare 

 the birds he had shot, left us to return to Coyotepec's dwellmg. 

 I continued walking, accompanied by Lucien, but soon stopped 

 to look at the dead body of a mouse which grave-digging beetles 

 were burying. 



These insects, five in number, were excavating the ground 

 under the small rodent, in order to bury it. These industrious 

 insects had undertaken a work which would employ them more 

 than twenty-four hours ; two of the beetles were lifting up one 

 side of the carcass, whilst the others scratched away the sand 

 underneath. 



" Why are they trying to bury that mouse % " asked Lucien. 



" They are providing for their young. They will deposit their 

 eggs beneath the dead animal, and the larvse, after they are 

 hatched, will feed on it." 



I disturbed the active creatures, which, unfortunately for them, 

 belonged to a rare species. Their antennae, which are club- 

 shaped, terminate abruptly in a kind of button, and their elytra, 

 which are a brilliant black, are crossed by a belt of a yellow 

 colour. In vain I turned over the ground and the prey, but I 

 could only find four of them. 



On a path, leading to a glen, we noticed some cicindelas. 

 Lucien began chasing them, but the agility of his enemies soon 

 baffled him. 



" How malicious these flies are ;" he cried, "I can't succeed in 

 catching one of them.'' 



