Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-12-18
MODEL UNDERTAKES.
How the "Sexton Beetle" Labors to
Rnru Its EaIIoxu Crenfnres

HOW the sexton Dcetlo AtUOTS ~
Bury Its Fellow Creatures.
The two beetles were soon at their post
They first ran around the body of the dead
fish until they met. Then they seemed to be
comforting for moment. Next they passed
under the body at opposite sides and began
to lift. The head rose slowly and then
both the toilers could be distinctly seen at
work. One was lying on his back with
feet in the air, lifting the upper part of the
fish from the ground His mate was just
behind him, standing upon her hind feet,
her fore feet, antennB and mandibles
wedged between the scales of the fish above
her while she was thrusting forward with
all her might to push along the fish as her
mate lifted Ali in vain! There was still
no advance.
Again there seemed to be conference
Then the head rose again, lifted as before:
but when it had reached its utmost height
she reared herself upon her hind feet,
braced herself SO as to receive upon her
head the whole weight and thus set free
the other beetle, who ran around behind
the fish, turned his back to it. worked him
self backward under the fan of the tail un-
til he was almost concealed from view,
then buried his orange colored antenn@ in
lutte thrust and away went red throat,
'little wife and ALL"
The movement had been SO sudden that
his companion was taken quite unawares,
but though she was thrown some distance
with the weight of the whole fish upon her
she did not seem at all discounted, but
was out and up on her feet again, evident
ly delighted that more than an inch Of
progress had been made.
Thus, inch by inch, these two patient
toilcrs carried their load, sometimes lifting
as ! have described, sometimes tugging
with their horny forceps, sometimes push
ing and thrusting with every posture and
method. In a half hour they had made
less than foot of progress.
Two hours later, when l returned from a
fishing jaunt along the stream, they had
reached the edge of the path. where there
is steep decline for eighteen inches to-
ward the stream, and below it a soft bed of
sandy loan. AS it was the hour appointed
for luncheon, and my comrades had not
yet come, waited to witness the burial, or
at least the steps toward it.
In few minutes the edge of the steep
declivity had been reached. One beetle
was on his back under the fish, pushing
with all his might. The other was in front,
tugging with her teeth. Suddenly, as the
verge WAS reached, the fish toppled; min
iature avalanche was set in motion, and
down to the bottom went the three, the
fish on top, the two sections underneath.
The body being now in place, excava-
tons for its burial were Immediately be-
gun. Each of the beetles passing under
began to dig away the soil and to thrust it
backward with the feet. Soon. all around
the body, at the distance of an inch or so
from it, reminding one of the hasty in
trenchment about some military camp,
rose a little embankment of finely pull
verified earth, which had been dug with
the strong forceps that served as picks,
and thrown back with the six horny feet
that supplied the place of shovels. The
body gradually sank as the embankment
slowly rose, the head lingering longest
above the original level.
returned from time to time to watch
the PROCESS of the burial. When the shad-
ows Of evening were falling, and l re-
turned for the last time, portion of the
head Mas still visible, all the rest being
under the earth. In a few hours more the
little red throat was lying three or four
inches under the ground, as neatly and
carefully buried as if some man had done
the work.-T. D. Witherspoon in St. Mich
O1aS