. The sacred beetle, and others [microform]. Beetles; Coléoptères. I' c i I ?! The Sacred Beetle and Others as compasses; the Gymnopleurus has similar tools. But the Copris, unprovided with the spread of limb which would enable her to encircle the object, finds nothing in her equip- ment that favours the formation of a "sphere. Perched upon her ovoid, she labours at it bit by bit with an intensity that makes up for her defective implements; she estimates the correctness of its curve by assiduous tactile examinations from one end to the other. Perseverance triumphs over clumsiness and achi
. The sacred beetle, and others [microform]. Beetles; Coléoptères. I' c i I ?! The Sacred Beetle and Others as compasses; the Gymnopleurus has similar tools. But the Copris, unprovided with the spread of limb which would enable her to encircle the object, finds nothing in her equip- ment that favours the formation of a "sphere. Perched upon her ovoid, she labours at it bit by bit with an intensity that makes up for her defective implements; she estimates the correctness of its curve by assiduous tactile examinations from one end to the other. Perseverance triumphs over clumsiness and achieves what at first seemed impossible. Here all my readers will assail me with the same questions: why this abrupt change in the insect's habits? Why this indefati- gable patience in a form of work that bears no relation to the tools at hand? And what is the use of this ovoid shape whose perfect- ion demands so great an outlay of time? To these queries I see only one possible reply: the preservation of the foodstuffs in a fresh condition demands the globular form. Remember this: the Copris builds her nest in June; her larva develops during the dog- days; it lies a few inches below the surface of the ground. In the cavern, which is now a furnace, the provisions would soon become uneatable, if the mother dia not give them 218. mmm. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Fabre, J. Henri (Jean Henri), 1823-1915. Toronto : McClelland, Goodchild & Stewart
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectbeetles, bookyear1918
