one-it is a voracious monster to be dreaded and avoided, and its death to be rejoiced over; from man's point of view, the glorious dragon-fly—some species of which are the largest of all British insects, measuring as much as five inches across their wings—is to be regarded as being as useful as it is cruel to its kind.

"Dimpling the water glides; with here and there
A glossy fly, skimming in circlets gay

The treacherous surface, while the quick-eyed trout
Watches his time to spring; or, from above,
Some feathered dam, purveying 'mong the boughs,
Darts from her perch, and to her plumeless brood
Bears off the prize--sad emblem of man's lot."

ON ancient Egyptian monu

ments, obelisks, tombs, walls, and astronomical tables, is found the representation of a beetle-only a small one it

is true (though sometimes its image is

enlarged to give expression to its fancied greatness), but with numerous and wonderful meanings attached to it. In the first place, as a hieroglyphic it is used to express the verb to be or exist, from the idea that the insect is self-created. This sup

position obtained because in the laborious tasks undertaken by the little creatures in providing for their young, both both sexes participate. Usually in

insect-life the lady alone performs all the work, the gentleman merely looking on, perhaps giving a little encouragement, but more generally quite indifferent, and often dead before his wife's labours begin.

With the scarabeus of the Egyptians, however, this is not the case. The sexes work together, and this gave rise to the idea that they were all males. The beetle was regarded, therefore, as not only self

existing, but also as the symbol of a brave warrior, because none of the weakness of the female was mingled with the strength and boldness of the masculine temperament.

Then, again, this wonderful little insect was not only worshipped as a supreme being, but was also regarded as a symbol of the world, the sun, the days of the week, and the months of the year. As a god of usefulness it might well have been placed on a high pedestal, for it lives on and helps to bury the loathsome substances on the surface of the earth. It is from its habit of rolling this refuse into round balls that the symbolism of the world was derived.

In each of these pellets is placed a tiny egg. Previously to encircling their embryo offspring with the food upon which they exist as grubs, the beetles have dug a hole about three feet deep. This hole is for the reception of the pellets. But how to get them there?

They are too big to be carried by their parents, and, very often the distance from the place where the eggs are encased to the hole made for their reception measures as much as six or seven yards. The little beetles are not daunted by distance or even greater obstacles. Their one object in life appears to be to provide food and shelter for the children they will probably never behold. Walking backwards, with their hind legs they roll the pellets in the desired direction. Sometimes, however, a hillock rises across the path they must travel. The ball is pushed half-way up this veritable mountain, and, perchance, slips from the guiding legs and rolls to the bottom again. The patient parent goes after it, and again struggles to reach the summit with

HILLOCK.

its precious burden. As often as the ball rolls down, so often does the beetle fetch it, until at last, after an infinite amount of labour, the top is reached, and the object of such toilsome care rolls down the other side of the elevation and is again pushed along towards its haven of rest. Sometimes it falls into cracks, out of which it is pulled; sometimes the patient beetle meets