NORMAN E. M'lNDOO. 



Specimens have been kept in captivity in the laboratory 

 throughout the year. In cold weather they are less active than 

 in warm and are very fretful when the vials become too warm, 

 and often die. 



COURTSHIP. 1 



November 16 two were seen copulating. In order to see 

 them I got too close and my breath irritated the web. This 

 caused them to separate. After an absence of five minutes I 

 returned and found them together again. A second time they 

 were disturbed. Returning after an absence of fifteen minutes, 

 they were found close together. While copulating, they were 

 lying one under the other with anterior and posterior ends re- 

 versed and with the ventral parts of their cephalothorax in 

 contact. November 19, a pair was seen pairing. December 17, 

 two w r ere observed copulating, these were both under the snare, 

 and the anterior and posterior ends of the cephalothorax were 

 reversed. The dorsal surface of the cephalothorax of the male 

 was pressed against the corresponding ventral part of the female. 

 The male placed his palp on the epigynum once, this lasted only 

 a few seconds, then they parted. December 14 and 22, two 

 couples were seen copulating. Those on the latter date were first 

 seen at 2:25 P.M. and then disturbed by breath. At 2:27 they 

 were together again after the male had circled once around the 

 female. This pair was on top of the horizontal snare all the time. 

 The male used his palps alternatively three times in three minutes, 

 each time lasted only a few seconds. They were disturbed at 

 2:30. January 4, two were observed copulating June 7, a 

 male was seen courting a female. Both were under the snare 

 within one and one-half inches of each other. They were first 

 seen at 3:45 P.M. When the male tried to advance toward the 

 female, she caused him to keep his distance, the result of which 

 caused the male to circle completely around her clockwise in 

 six minutes. Most of the time she kept the posterior end of 

 her abdomen toward him, while he had his head facing her all 

 the time. At 4:00 I left them and a half hour later upon my 

 return they were still in the same position. They were placed 

 in a vial, taken to the house and were put in a case. In this 



'McCook, '93, describes only courtship of outside form 



