THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S 
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER, 
No. 37.] SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 1857. [Price Id. 
KILLING THE GOOSE. 
Most of our readers are well aware that 
once upon a time there was a goose 
which laid golden eggs, and that these 
eggs were a source of great profit to the 
proprietor; but this worthy individual, 
anxious to find a short cut to great 
wealth, conceived the idea of cutting 
open the goose, and so obtaining all the 
golden eggs that would, otherwise, have 
accrued to him only in a long course of 
years. The deed was done, but the re- 
sult rather disappointed him ; he did not 
find the treasures be expected ; and after 
her demise, the goose (unlike a defunct 
Hepialus I Tumuli, $) laid no more eggs, 
golden or otherwise. 
There are certain beetles which are 
only found in attendance upon ants’ 
nests, and which are obtained by a 
careful scrutiny of the large stones, 
&c., in the neighbourhood of ants’ 
bests ; hence some ignorant and infa- 
tuated individuals, animated by a morbid 
love of gain, have conceived that they 
could obtain these beetles more plenti- 
fully if they ransacked with spade and 
shovel the inmost penetralia of the for 
micarium. They were not content with 
the golden eggs, but needs must kill the 
goose — a suicidal policy. 
The ants’ nests thus ruthlessly de- 
stroyed supplied no such great stock 
of riches as had been expected, and, 
more over, they ceased from that time 
forth to produce a weekly crop of 
beetles. 
History is silent as to the fate of the 
far-famed goose destroyer; but we always 
fancy that he became bankrupt, or ended 
his days in the insolvent debtors’ court. 
Poetical justice would mete out the same 
fate to the hero who assaulted and laid 
low those ants’ nests, which have already 
become things of the past, and have 
entered the province of history. We 
can fancy that all beetle-hunters will 
look with due disgust on such conduct, 
and that the destroyer of the Formi- 
caria will be condemned to a species 
of Coleopterous Coventry, and that as 
a beggar for beetles he will ever be 
unsuccessful. 
We are sorry to be obliged to use such 
strong language ; but our existence 
would be of little avail if we were not to 
expose wrong-doing when it is brought 
under our notice, however unpalatable 
our strictures may be to the wrong- 
doers. 
Moral. 
Before you do a dirty, greedy act, 
think twice. 
Da. Herricii Schaeffer, of Ratis- 
bon, started on the 2nd instant for Mont- 
pellier. 
