130 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



[Jan., 



(6) — Long axes of the bodies converging so that the forehead of 

 the male touches the sternum of the female: Dictyna 

 volupis (Emerton, Montgomery), D. henignum (Walck- 

 enaer), Micryphantes rurestris (Hasselt). 



(c) — ]\Iale with his sternum apposed to that of the female: 

 Dictyna armnophila (Menge). 



(d) — Male apposed to the ventral surface of the abdomen of the 

 female: Nephila, Argiope (Emerton), Meta segmentata, 

 Asagena serratipes (Menge). 



(e) — ]\Iale holding the chelicera of the female with his own, the 

 abdomen of the female flexed ventrad : Pachygnatha listeri 

 (Menge), Tetragnatha extensa (Bertkau. Duges, Menge, 

 Lister, Walckenaer). 



The following table illustrates the distribution of these modes of 

 embrace among the families observed : 



Family. 



LycosidcB . ... 



SparassidcB . 



AttidcB 



DrassidcB . . . 

 AgalenidcB . . 

 T heridiidoB . . 

 Argyronetidce 

 EpeiridcB . . . 

 Thomisidm. . . 



PholcidcB 



DietynidoB . . . 



Mode of Embr.^.ce. 



la 16 2o 26 3a 36 i 4 5 Ga i 06 t 6c 6d 1 6e 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ + 



+ 



The species which have been observed are too few to allow broad 

 generahzations, but the following points may be noted. In all the 

 species it is the male that embraces the female, she remaining motion- 

 less ; the male embraces with his legs, and in Tetragnatha and Pachyg- 

 natha with his chelicera also. The mode of embrace may well be 

 dependent upon one of several different factors: (1) relative size of 

 male and female; (2) differences in their form; (3) differences in 

 place of copulation (whether upon a web or upon the ground). The 

 fact that the typical terrestrial spiders which do not build webs 

 (Lycosiclce, Sparassidce, Attidoe, certain Drassidce) all show the same 

 mode of embrace might point to similarity of place of copulation, in 

 unison with the running and hunting habits of these species, inducing 

 similarity of mode of embrace, and be referable to the third factor; 



