When they alight, Mr. Beetle goes briskly to his work, and Mrs. Beetle stands looking on. Her work in this world is not to dig, but to lay eggs. Before the work begins, they both make a good meal off the dead mouse. All sexton beetles eat flesh.
Mr. Beetle works a while. Then he drops down as if very tired, and sleeps. Then up he gets and ploughs furrow after furrow about the mouse. Mr. Beetle uses his head for a plough. Now the dead body has sunk out of sight. Mr. Beetle has put over it the earth he took out from the grave which he made. He makes all the little grave smooth and trim.
But what is this queer little fellow doing now? He has made a little side door into the grave. He and Mrs. Beetle walk in. They have gone to take another meal from the mouse.
When their dinner is over, Mrs. Beetle lays some eggs in the dead body. She knows that when the larvæ come from the eggs, they will like to eat the food which they will find all around them. After the eggs are laid, Mr. and Mrs. Beetle come out into the air.
Mr. Beetle fills up the doorway. Then off the two fly to find other things to bury.
The larva of the sexton beetle looks much like a beach flea or sand-hopper.
Does the strength of beetles surprise you? They have strong, sharp jaws. Once I found a fine grass-green beetle, with silver spots. I wanted him for my card of beetles. I tied him in the hem of my handkerchief to carry him home. The hem was double, but he ate a hole through it; then away he went.
Once I shut up ten beetles in a box. I forgot them for two days. When I opened the box, they were all dead. They had killed each other. The box had in it only heads and legs and wings. The last beetle that had been left had lost his legs and wings. He had won the battle, but died on the field. Some other great captains have done the same.
LESSON XXVIII.
THE STORY OF THE STAG BEETLE.