New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-12
THE SACRED BEETLE.
CURIOUS PERFORMANCES OF THU
SCARABHcUS THAT LED 10
HIS DELEGATION

Grant Allen In The Strand Magazine.
AS far az I make out pair OF beetles
male and female seem usually TO share hole
in common, and to roll balls Of food TO it either
alone or in concert l cannot say have ever
seen much cooperation except between such
partners. once a ball is secured and safely
landed-for here, as elsewhere, there's many
slip 'tWiXt the cup and the Up-the happy couple
proceed to eat it up, and apparently do not
emerge again from their burrOw till the supply
is exhausted Patient natuTallsts say that ono
ball has been known to last a scarab as long az
a fortnight, but this ! do not youch for Of per-
scnal knowledge. When more food Is wanted,
the couple emerge once more on the open sand
and begin 70 collect fresh dung and refuse,
which they roll into new football and then
dry and harden.
Till very lately II was universally believed
that the female scarab laid egg in some OF
the balls, and that the young 6rubs Matched
within such food stocks and began at once to
devOur them. This belief has recently been
contradicted with great emphasis by a good
French observer. who opened many balls and
found no eggs; but l cannot accept his con-
clusion. i opened a number Of balls myself
near Venice this year. and saw In several one or
two eggs. while in one case (unearthed from
hole discovered a half-grOwn larYa venture
therefore in this matter to believe my own
eyes as against those OF even the most celebrated
and authoritative entemOlogStS In Egypt 1t
has been universally believed from all antiquity
and think cutie rightly-that after the scarab
has laid EGG In the ball the parents unite in
rolling ii to a place OF safety, above the level
Of the annual inundation due TO the rise Of the
Nile. At any rate, scarabs abound In Egypt
At 4 very early date, II would seem, the Gu
rOus action Of these beetles attracted the atten-
ton Of the ancient Egyptians, whose worship OF
animals was one OF the most marked features
Of their monstrous religion Hence grew
strange and widespread superstition A race
which deifed the hawk the cat, the Ibis and
the jackaI not likely to overlook the mar
veOus procee dings Of the pious and dutful
scarab. So the very early Egyptians, we may
conjecture, began by thinking there must be
something divine in the nature OF an insect
which worked ceaselessly on behalf OF It's
young and relied such big round balls behind
II up such relatively large hocks Watching a
little closer as time went on. the Egyptian dis
covered no doubt, that sacred beetles did not
proceed directly from sacred beetles, Ike lambs
from ewes. but grew, as it were. out Of the dirt
and corruption Of the mysterious pellets
A modern observer would. Of course. at once
suspect that the scarab laid an egg inside the
ball. and would promptly proceed to pull one
open and look for 1t. But that cold scientific
method was not likely to commend itself 10 the
mystic and deeply religious Egyptian mind ina
priests by the Nile jumped rather to the con
cluslon that the scarab collected dirt in order
TO make future scarab out OF clay and that
from this dirt the young beetle grew, selt-eX-
istent. self-devcloped, celebrated CONSIDERING
the absence of scientific knowledge and com
parative groups OF scientific facts at the time,
such q conclusion was by no means unnatural
once started on so strange set or IDEAS the
Egyptians proceeded TO evolve worship OF the
scarab which grew ever and developed, as they
thought the scarab itself did, practically out OF
nothing The Immortality Of the soul and the
resurrection OF the body were the central ideas
OF Egyptian religion; the thinkers OF TheDes
and Memphis instantly perceived fanciful
analogy between the scarab rising from It's bed
OF dirt and the mummy reviving when the ex-
pected day OF resurrection should at last ar
rive AS consequence or this analogy the
scarab was made sacred 1t was reverenced
during its life and often preserved after its
death. like the mummied cats and hawks ant
sacred Apis bulls which formed such specla
objects OF veneratlon to the deyout OF Egypt