1903.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 99 



8.58 he brought his head obhqiiely over her right side, then apphed 

 the right palpus, in the same manner as he had the left, as follows : 

 8.58^8.59^ 9.00-9.12, 9.13-9.19, 9.19^-9.24, 9.25-9.30, 9.30|-9.34i, 

 9.35-9.39, 9.40-9.45, 9.46-9.49^, 9.50-9.56, 9.56^-10.02, 10.02*-10.06, 

 10.06^10.16, 10.16^-10.23, 10.23^-10.29^, 10.30^-10.39^, 10.40-10.45, 

 10.45^-10.55, 10.56-11.18, 11.18^-11.31, 11.32-11.46^ 11.47-11.59. 

 Then for very weariness I ceased watching and left them in copula, 

 and next morning found the female eating the male. The female was 

 immovable throughout the whole act, her sternum with its ventral 

 surface downward, but her abdomen twisted on its long axis so as to 

 flex the epigynum up to meet the palpus of the male. His right palpus 

 was used upon her right side, his left palpus upon her left side. 



The copulation lasted in the first of these cases for 7 hovirs and 47 

 minutes; in the second case it was watched for exactly eight hours, 

 but lasted longer. In both cases the approach and behavior of the 

 males was alike, and both used the left palpus first. There was nothing 

 in the behavior of the males to indicate a courtship ; there was simply 

 a cautious approach of the male, and after he had found no sign of 

 hostility on the part of the female he quickly seized her, and she was 

 absolutely submissive in his grasp. When he first grasps her he taps 

 her abdomen with his first pair of legs, perhaps an act of subjugation. 

 Not one of the females have made cocoons up to the time of this 

 writing (October 5). 

 Dictyna volupis Keys. PL V, fig. C 



Numbers of individuals of this species were collected on May 26 

 upon vines of Ampelopsis and English ivy gi-owing upon the walls of 

 my old homestead, near West Chester, Pa. They had constructed 

 their webs upon the upper surface of the leaves of these plants, and 

 upon most of the webs a male and female were found together, and a 

 number of these were found then in copulation. This species is easily 

 kept in captivity, and on account of their small size I kept them in 

 test-tubes with the mouth loosely plugged with cotton, placing a male 

 and female together in each tube, when they made the webs conjointly; 

 males and females caught together were kept together. 



Individuals observed, males: No. 130, caught on web of $ No. 131, died June 15; 

 No. 132, caught on web of ? No. 132, died June 24; No. 134, caught on web 

 of ^ No. 135, died in June; No. 136, caught on web of $ No. 137, died June 16; 

 No. 138, caught on web of $ No. 139, died June 3; No. 140, caught on web of 

 Q No. 141, died June 18; No. 142, caught on web of ? No. 143, died July 2 ; 

 No. 144, caught on web of $ No. 145, died June 3; No. 146, caught on web of 

 9 No. 147, died in June; No. 148, caught on web of ? No. 149, died June 7. 



Individuals observed, female-'^: No. 131, escaped June 14; No. 1.33, escaped 



