COURTSHIP IN DYSDERA CROCATA. 1 2Q 



gomery objects to my conclusion that the sense of sight is the 

 only sense th.it guides hunting spiders in finding the females 

 during tin- mating period. He says that he has "frequently 

 noticed m. tics of even diurnal attids and lycosids first recognizing 

 tin- iViii.ile by touch." It seems to me however very doubtful 

 th.it a male should approach a female without having previously 

 noticed her or without having been noticed by her, so to say 

 imau an-- on the part of both. The fact that the female may stay 

 <|tii-t U no proof that she has not noticed him. From my obser- 

 \ation- .md experiments on hunting spiders I am convinced that 

 they n-adily see moving objects. If frightened they run away: 

 i| cons* i"ii- of their advantage and hungry or if cornered, they 

 ai tack. \\ hat Montgomery looks upon as recognition by touch 

 ma\ l.e merely an attempt on the part of the male to find out 

 \\heiher the female is inclined to accept him. I do not deny 

 that -IK h a chance meeting is possible, but from what we know 

 o| the habits of spiders, I should expect the female to be either 

 -tartled or resentful on being touched unawares. In the case of 

 rocala, which may in a certain sense be regarded as a 

 hunting -pider, the male shows every indication of perceiving 

 mo\ inv; objects and of recognizing the female by sight. Several 

 times h, distinctly watched the end of a hatpin with which I was 

 bi. -.iking up the hard clumps of earth in a jar. Invariably on 

 m\ . ea-ing to do this, he approached the spot and scratched at it 

 \\ iih \\\- front leg*. A- I have already stated he also approach. -d 

 ih t, male whenever she began to dig. Reversing the conclusion 

 : -mery that touch occupies the first place in the sen-e- 



ignition and sight the second, I repeat therefore thai 

 -ight i- the only sense of sex-recognition in hunting spider-. 

 Alter sex has been recognized, courtship begins, and touch is the 

 chid means by which the male excites the female and tests her 

 \\illiiune>s to accept him. 



