. The sacred beetle, and others [microform]. Beetles; Coléoptères. 0. The Sacred Beetle and Others we should put it into the ground, so far as possible, while fresh. When diluted by the rain and dissipated by the air, it becomes lifeless and devoid of fertilizing; elements. This agronomic truth of such high import- ance is quite familiar to the Geotrupes and his colleagues. In their burying-work, they invariably aim at materials of recent date. Just as they are eager to put away the produce of the moment, all spturated with its potassium, its nitrates and its phosphates, even so do they scorn
. The sacred beetle, and others [microform]. Beetles; Coléoptères. 0. The Sacred Beetle and Others we should put it into the ground, so far as possible, while fresh. When diluted by the rain and dissipated by the air, it becomes lifeless and devoid of fertilizing; elements. This agronomic truth of such high import- ance is quite familiar to the Geotrupes and his colleagues. In their burying-work, they invariably aim at materials of recent date. Just as they are eager to put away the produce of the moment, all spturated with its potassium, its nitrates and its phosphates, even so do they scorn the stuff hardened into brick by the sun or rendered infertile by long exposure to the air. The valueless residue does not interest them; they leave this barren rubbish to others. We now know about the Geotrupes as a sanitary expert and as a collector of manure. We are going to ScC I ' ii in a aspect, that of the sagacious weather-prophet. It is popularly believed, in the country-side, that a swarm of agitated Geotrupes, skimming the ground with an air of great business in the evening, is a sign of fine weather on the morrow. Is this rustic prognostication worth anything? My cages shall tell us. I watch my boarders closely all through the autumn, the period when they build their nests; I note the state of the sky on the day 286. 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
