28 



AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SriNNINdWOliK. 



Male 

 Organs 



portion of the abdominal cavity, are seatod in tlie central and posterior 

 part. Tlie intestinal tube runs tln-oup;b it in nearly a straight direction 

 from the base to llic apex, and tlie sacs and tuljcs wliicli clalioratc tlie 

 material for forming tlie webs are placed in tlie lower, lateral, and anterior 

 parts. In the male, the organs for the secretion of seminal fluid consist 

 of two long, narrow, convoluted tubes, occu]iying tlie same relative posi- 

 tion as the ovaries in tlie female. Tliey also oi)eii outwardly into the 

 minute orifice noted above. 



The manner in which the act of pairing hetweeii the .'•exes occurs is a 

 matter of doubt, and probably differs among different species. Mr. Cam- 

 bridge' reports a case in which a perfect a])parent coition was 

 effected between sexual apertures of the male and female spider, 

 the })iilpi not being used at all ; and I liavc observed what 

 seemed to he a similar act in the pairing of the sexes of Agalena nccvia. 

 On the other hand, it is evident that the si)ermatic fluid is conveyed to 



the female j)arts of gener- 

 ation by the male palpi. 

 I have seen and recorded 

 this action in the case of 

 Linyphia marginata. Menge 

 and Aussercr have observed 

 that the male spider before 

 the act of union emits from 

 the sexual aperture a droj) 

 of sperraa on a weli made 

 for the purpose, which drop 

 he then takes up in the 

 mil) of the palpi and then communicates it to the female. 

 A\'itli regard to the function exercised by the reniarkahlc organs con- 

 nected with the digital joint of the j)alpi of male .spiders, there exists some 

 difference of opinion. Taking anatomy as his guide, Treviranus 

 arrived at the conclusion that the parts in question are used for 

 the purjwse of excitation merely, preparatory to the actual union 

 of the sexes by means of aiipropriate organs situated near the 

 jiait of the inferior regions of the abdomen. This view of the 

 subject, which is very generally adojited, is opposed to that derived from 

 physiological facts by Dr. Lister and the earlier systematic writers on 

 arachiiology, who regardwl tlie palpal organs as strictly .sexual ; and re- 

 cent researches, conducted with the utmost caution, have clearly established 

 the accuracy of the o])ininu advanced by that distinguished Englishman.- 



i-'iG. 17. Collecting :i spider in a box. 



genital 



Digital 

 of Male 

 Palpi. 



anterior 



' I'or valiial>le iuiiili)iin<"il iKitt'S «■(■ liis ".\nicliiiiila," ICm vcle|i.i(lia llrilamiica. 

 - BUickwall: " Kci)ort.s 14tli .Mi'dinj; Uritit^li A?.«oi'iati(in .\(lv. of Sci.," padres (i7-(i!.). .\1h 

 'Spiders of Great Brit, and Ireland," Introduction, page o. 



