1903.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 121 



placed high in the labyrinth. He remained immovable until 8.39, 

 when he began to climb about, alternately advancing toward and 

 retreating from her, spinning threads all the while, she remaining 

 suspended head down near her cocoon, occasionally jerking the wel) 

 lines with her anterior legs (evidently signalling). The male finally 

 made two or three quick motions toward her, withdrew each time, then 

 copulated with her at 8.44 and again at 8.44^. Each copulation lasted 

 barely 5 seconds; she hung head down with legs loosely flexed, like 

 the female of Theridium tepidariorum, her ventral surface turned 

 toward him ; he embraced her legs with his, head downward also, but 

 the copulation was so rapid that I could not determine how he applied 

 his palpi, except that both seemed to be applied simultaneously to 

 her epigynimi. He then left her and went to a corner of the cage, 

 where he vigorously cleaned his palpi and legs up to 8.58; while she 

 remained quiet in the same place. There was no sperm-induction up 

 to 10.00 P.M., when I left them together; he remained upon the laby- 

 rinth of her web up to the time of his death, and the pair seemed per- 

 fectly amicable. 



There is no courtship, the male finds the female by pulling upon the 

 lines of the web, and her answering pulls are evidently a signal to him 

 of desire upon her part. In natural conditions several males are 

 often found at once upon the labyrinth of the female. 



Cocooning. — This female constructed five cocoons, on July 26, July 

 31, August 9, August 19, and August 27 respectively. In accord with 

 the well-known habit of the species the cocoons were placed in a chain 

 one below the other, the latest formed cocoon being the lowest; the 

 cocoons are brown in color, biconvex, rather conical above and 

 more rounded below and irregularly circular in greatest outline. 

 Though the process of cocooning was not seen, it is very probable 

 that the cocoon is formed of a base and a cover, and that the 

 base is placed highest, and for these reasons : First, there is a well- 

 marked line around the equator, showing a union of two parts. Sec- 

 ond, the female, before cocooning, constructs a little tent, in the form 

 of a shallow inverted cone, placed high in the labyrinth, and rests 

 beneath it; this cone is an admirable protection against rain and 

 simlight, and serves to partially conceal the spider. The males appear 

 not to make such nests. Now when a cocoon is made the female uses 

 this conical nest as the base, thickening it by silk, the eggs are laid in 

 its hollow, then a more nearly flat cover of less diameter is spun to 

 close the mouth of the cone. Then she constructs beneath this cocoon 

 a second nest-cone in which she rests, later incorporates it into a second 



