Jlau — Sexual Selection Experiments in Cecropia Moth. 283 



wires of the cage, and describing several circles about the female, and 

 all again become quiet. — 11:10. It has been necessary for me to be 

 absent from them since the last observations. The female however is 

 still hanging from the top of the cage, male 31, clinging to the wire, 

 flutters about her in circles, and male 5 lies quietly on the floor, appar- 

 ently having given up the chase. Only when male 31 flutters against 

 him he stirs, gently moves the v/ings to and fro for a minute, and 

 lapses again into quietness. — Morning. Mating has not yet occurred. — 

 April 30, 9:30 P. M. Male 31 has been fluttering about the cage so 

 violently for a half hour that it becomes necessary to remove him. 



TliiiS, although the insects were left together for 24 

 hours, this fertilized female did not remate, even when 

 courted by two good males, aged 7 days, and less than 

 1 day. 



Experiment 9. — April 30, 11:55 P. M. 



(j'31. Age 1 day 13:00 hours. Large; expanse of fore-wings, 

 16.1 cm.; brightly colored; pubescence on abdomen 

 bright red. 



(^36. Age 1 day 10:25 hours. Expanse of fore-wings, 15.1 

 cm.; wings not so brightly colored and slightly dam- 

 aged; pubescence on the entire abdomen dingy brown. 



$ 47. Age days 11:35 hours. 



Object. — To see whether the female will give evidence 

 of any choice based on beauty and bright coloration in 

 the male. 



Behavior. — 11:55. Male 31 remains on the floor quite inactive. Al- 

 most Immediately the female and male 36 begin to chase each other, and 

 at last she pursues him to the top of the cage. Here he behaves very 

 sedately, while she clings to the wires near by, beating her wings and 

 rudely striking his, and finally comes very close in front of him allur- 

 ingly opening and closing her wings several times. To all of this he 

 remains indifferent. Male 31 is now also near the female, but like 

 male 36, he pays no attention whatever to this bold display. For seven 

 minutes now the female has fluttered anxiously about male 36, often 

 beating her wings against his. She alone flutters about, apparently 

 much more eager to mate than the males. She clings at the top of 

 the dome flapping her wings, circles about many times and goes back 

 again and again to male 36 and beats his wings. She pays little atten- 

 tion to male 31 excepting that twice she has chanced to fly to him, but 

 at once flitted back again to 36.-1:15. The insects have all been at 

 perfect rest since 12:05.-6:30. All are found in the identical posi- 

 tions. 7:00. The female is now found in copulo with male 36. 



