54 



AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



(Fig. 29), that is, the body was thrown into a position at about an angle of 

 forty-five degrees, the abdomen ahnost in the Hne with the cephalothorax, 

 but a little bent under at the apex, which nearly or 

 quite touched the ground. Tlie two hind pairs of 

 legs were thrown outward from the body, tlie fourth 

 or hindermost pair being well curved, the third or 

 next pair somewhat bent, but more extend- 

 , ed. The second pair (next to the foremost) 



confirmed ^^•''^ quite extended in a line without much 

 curvature, except towards the last two joints. 

 The front legs were extended in a line somewhat 



Fig. 31. Love dance of Astia 



vittata. Male with front curvcd, and wcll thrown Upward above the head, and 



leg^m poise. (After Peck- ^j^g pg^J^g^ .^^.j^j^ji^ g^j.^ ^^^^].^ ^.^^.^ strctchcd OUt in a 



corresponding position, and continually rubbed one 

 upon the other in an excited manner. In this attitude the male moved 

 backward and forward witli a lively sal- 

 tigrade movement, whirling around a little 

 as he leaped upward (Fig. 30) and brush- 

 ing the tips of his palps together in the 

 meanwhile. This was about all I was 

 permitted to see, but it at least confirms 

 in part what the Peckhanis have so care- 

 fully recorded. 



The first male form, which corresponds 

 in appearance to the female, when he ap- 

 proaches his mate, raises his first 

 ove I g^ ^j^gj^ jj^ point either ^2^ 



Dance of "^ •' '■ . , . "^s^ 



Astia forward or upward, keepnig his _ 



l)alps stifily outstretched, while -S^. 

 the tip of his abdomen is bent to the ~- 



grOUnd. This position he commonly takes fig. 32. Position of male Astia vittata when 



when three or four inches away. While fP^'^'^J'^ll '"' '''"'^"- """"" ^""■e''''- 



•^ (After Peckhani.) 



he retains this attitude he keeps curving 



and waving his legs in a very curious manner. Frequently he raises only 



one of the legs of the first jiair, running all the 

 time from side to side. As he draws nearer to 

 the female, he lowers his body to the ground and, 

 dropjiing his legs also, places the two anterior 

 pairs so that the tips touch in front (Fig. o2), 

 Fio. 33. Male of icius mitratus ^^^"^ proximal joints bciiig tumed almost at an 

 dancing before female. (After aiiglc to the body. Now lie glides in a scmicir- 

 ^™'' cle before the female, sometimes advancing, some- 



times receding, until at last she accejits his addresses. 



The Niger form is much the more lively of the two, and whenever the 



