348 



THE AD VENTURES OF 



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 indus- 

 trious 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, while the others 

 scratched away the sand underneath. 



« Why are they trying to bury that mouse ?" asked Lu- 

 cien. 



" They are providing for their young. They will deposit 

 their eggs beneath the dead animal, and the larvae, 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, terminated abruptly in a kind of button, and 

 their elytra, which are a brilliant black, are crossed by a 

 belt of yellow color. 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 suc- 

 ceed in catching one of them." 



" They are not flies, but coleoptera, allied to the Carabus 

 family. Give me your net." 



Lucien was anxious to obtain one of them, and at length 

 was successful. He was delighted with the beautiful me- 

 tallic color of their brown elytra, dotted over with yellow 

 spots ; but the insect, after having bitten him, escaped. 



" What jaws they have !" he said, shaking his fingers ; 

 " it's a good thing those creatures are very small. Do ci- 

 cindelas live in woods ?" 



" They prefer dry, sandy places, and can run and fly very 



