WOOING AND MATING. 35 



the superior part of the abdomen of the female. The feet and mandibles 

 of the one were interlocked with those of the other. ^ 



Walckenaer has given a complete and graphic description of the loves 

 of Tetragnatha. His observation was made on the 2Gtli of May, when the 

 weather was serene and moderately warm. A male was stationed under a 

 quite large orbweb spun in an inclined position. The female was below, 

 suspended by the hindermost feet. Her body was bent double, her abdo- 

 men in a sense horizontal, so that her cephalothorax was bent 

 „p , back upon the male in a vertical position. Her fore feet were 

 entangled in the fore feet of the male, but gently and without 

 stiffness. Her mandibles were opened, as were also those of the male, and 

 the extremities were supported one upon the other, and presented the form 

 of a trapeze, like the four open blades 'Of two pairs of scissors if joined 

 at their points. The male had his body stretched upon the same line in 

 a horizontal position, but reversed ; that is to say, the sternum of the 

 cephalothorax and the venter or lower part of the abdomen were turned 

 towards the sky, and the dorsum or back towards the ground. It resulted 

 . , . , from this position that, from beneath, the male, although much 

 of Male ^'"'^llsi" tban the female, appeared to surpass her in length by 

 half of his abdomen. Further it resulted that the vulva of the 

 female fell exactly beneath the palps of the male. He was suspended from 

 his snare by the fore feet, which were entangled in those of the female. 

 His two hindermost feet were posed upon the abdomen of the female, and 

 served to press her lightly against himself, while he applied the palps to 

 the vulva. The valve of the palpal bulb during the act of pairing was 

 swollen, brilliant, and the color of yellow amber. 



This pairing lasted more than a quarter of an hour, and although the 

 observer came very near in order to see more distinctly, the mates did not 

 separate. Once he touched a part of the web and caused it to vibrate. 

 The partners recoiled, but still remained coupled. The female then made 

 some efforts to disengage herself, but the male prevented her. Tlie ob- 

 server's attention was diverted at this point, for the space of two minutes, 

 to make another observation. When he turned his eyes again upon the 

 pair, only the female remained ; she was at the centre of her snare in the 

 accustomed position, that is to say, with the body and feet stretched out. 

 The male had disapj^eared, and was searched for in vain ; but during the 

 search Walckenaer observed another female engaged in spinning her snare 

 while another male waited upon an adjoining branch. 



It will be seen from the above account, which describes the entire pro- 

 cess, that, making allowance for less skill in observation, the English ob- 

 server had correctly seen what the French naturalist so correctly reports. 

 Lister, however, represents the male as stretched below the female, while 

 Walckenaer reverses the attitude. 



' Lister, Historise Animalium Angliae (Araneorum Angliae), 1678, page 31. 



