x] JUMPING SPIDERS 83 



a distance of twelve inches, and showing signs of 

 excitement, advanced to within about four inches and 

 then performed a most ludicrous dance something 

 in the nature of a " highland fling," in a semicircle 

 before her, she, in the meantime, moving in such a 

 manner as to keep him always in view. His exact 

 behaviour was this : he extended all the legs and the 

 palp on the left side, folding the first two legs and 

 the palp of the right side under him, and leaning 

 over sideways so far as nearly to lose his balance, 

 and in this attitude he sidled along towards the 

 lowered (right) side till he had described an arc of 

 about two inches ; then the position was instantly 

 reversed, the right legs being extended and the left 

 folded under, and the arc retraced. A male was 

 seen to repeat this performance 111 times ! He 

 then approached nearer and when almost within 

 reach "whirled madly around and around her, she 

 joining and whirling with him," after which she 

 accepted him as a mate. 



The next species to engage attention was an Iciits. 

 It was noteworthy that although the neighbourhood 

 was well known to the experimenters they had never 

 met with this spider before, but for a few days it 

 swarmed on the fences just as birds are known to 

 assemble from all quarters for the so-called "love 

 dances." After the mating season the spiders wandered 

 oif into the woods again and were seen no more. 



62 



