BURYING BEETLES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 9 April 1931, Page 3

BURYING BEETLES.

INSECT UNDERTAKERS.

AAI A ZING AIUSC'ULAR POWER

The absorbing interest that attaches to the study of insects, the great threat that they present to humanity, and the strenuous efforts that are being taken against the most damaging of them by the Canadian Government, were described by Dr. Arthur Gibson, of Ottawa, Dominion entomologist, who delivered the annual Somerville Lecture at Aloyse Hall, AlcGill University. Dr. Gibson pointed out the important part that insects play in nature; there are over 600,000 varieties that have been studied, of all kinds and sizes, each with its own peculiarities, each with its own work to be done, some harmful to man, some not. Differing in appearance, in colours, in strength, in powers, they present a studv that can hardlv be exhausted.

One particularly interesting part of the lecture dealt with the work of the burying beetles, whose function seems to be to bury all the dead birds, mice and other small animals in the forests. As soon as a bird falls to the ground, a couple of these beetles conic along; the male sets to work to dig out the earth from under the dead animal, toiling away until there is a hole big enough for a grave. Aleantime the female nestles on top of the bird, and is finally buried by the male; the female remains there, using the bird as nourishment, and laying her eggs from this place of security.

Insects are known to have tremendous' muscular power, the average being five times as great as that of the human being; some of them are twenty times as strong. “In everything but reasoning power, insects are the equal of man and are better suited to exist on this earth,” Dr. Gibson said, and he shuggested that man’s next great war might have to be against just this powerful enemy.