THE DORR BEETLE. 
217 
appear of a uniform size, and emerging in the spring 
they are all apparently full grown, and during the sum- 
mer none of smaller dimensions associate with the 
family parties. This plain, tiny, gliding water-flea 
seems a very unlikely creature to arrest our young at- 
tentions ; but the boy with his angle has not often much 
to engage his notice ; and the social, active parties of 
this nimble swimmer, presenting themselves at these 
periods of vacancy, become insensibly familiar to his 
sight, and by many of us are not observed in after life 
without recalling former hours, scenes of perhaps less 
anxious days : for trifles like these, by reason of some 
association, are often remembered, when things of 
greater moment pass off, and leave no trace upon our 
mind. 
July 29, — We frequently notice in our evening walks 
the murmuring passage, and are often stricken by the 
heedless flight, of the great dorr beetle (scarabaeus ster- 
corarius), clocks,* as the boys call them. But this 
evening my attention was called to them in particular 
by the constant passing of such a number as to consti- 
tute something like a little stream ; and I was led to 
search into the object of their direct flight, as in general 
it is irregular and seemingly inquisitive. I soon found 
that they dropped on some recent nuisance : but what 
powers of perception must these creatures possess, 
drawn from all distances and directions by the very lit- 
i tie fetor, which in such a calm evening could be dif- 
fused around ! and by what inconceivable means could 
* Pvlultitudes of words are retained in our language derived from 
very ancient dialects, and possibly the name “ dock,” as given to this 
beetle, conveying no meaning to our present comprehensions, is a 
corruption of some syllable in former use. Its subterranean resi- 
dence might have been signified by the old word “ cloax,” a vault, 
a creature from below. Or, burrowing in filth and ordure, as it does, 
the epithet “ clocca,” the offspring of a common shore, or jakes, 
would not have been insignificant of its origin and habits. Fancy, 
; too, playing with trifles, amuses itself in bandying about even its 
1 more general appellative, dorr. In old times a “ dorr” was a stupid, 
blundering fellow ; and “ to dorr,” was to din, or trouble with noise ; 
both meanings applicable to the heedless flight, and loud noise, made 
in all the transits of this dung beetle. 
T 
