ched, and turned a light brown colour. Having ascertained
all I wished to know about the maternal instincts of the earwig, I
released the mother and her family, and no doubt she was happy enough to
return to her old haunt in the fernery, and would greatly prefer
tree-roots and stones to my tumbler-and-saucer arrangement.

[Illustration]

[Illustration: EGYPTIAN BEETLES.]

THE SACRED BEETLE.

On reading books on Egypt and the voyage up the Nile, one is sure to
find some mention of the curious beetle which is found along the banks
of the river, especially in Nubia, where the shore is traceried with the
footprints of the busy little creature. Miss Edwards, in her very
interesting book, "A Thousand Miles up the Nile," thus speaks of it:
"Every one knows how this scarab was adopted by the Egyptians as an
emblem of creative power and the immortality of the soul; it is to be
seen in the wall-sculptures, on the tombs, cut out in precious stones
and worn as an ornament, buried in the mummy-cases, and a figure of the
beetle forms a hieroglyph, and represents a word signifying 'To be and
to transform.' If actual worship was not paid to _Scaraboeus Sacer_,[1]
it was, at any rate, regarded with the greatest reverence and a vast
amount of symbolism drawn from its various characteristics."

[Footnote 1: Or _Ateuchus Sacer_.]

I had often wished to see this insect alive, and one day my wish was
very unexpectedly gratified by the arrival of a small tin box in which I
found a specimen of the sacred beetle swathed in wet linen like a
veritable mummy, only, instead of being an Egyptian specimen, this had
come from a kind friend at the Riviera, who knew that the same species
existed there, and had sent me this one by post. The scarab was at once
named "Cheops," and treated with all the respect due to his ancient
family traditions.

His wants were easily supplied: a deep tin box, with earth and moss
slightly damped, gave him space for exercise; and then for food--alas!
that his tastes should be so degraded--he had to be supplied with
cow-dung! This could be done in secret, and judiciously hidden by fair,
green moss; but when exhibiting my cherished pet to admiring friends
the first question was sure to be, "What does he feed upon?" and one had
to take refuge in vague generalities about organic substances, &c.,
which might mean anything, and then, by diverting attention to some
point of interest apart from the food question, t