340 PEDAL NOSl''. IX TRAI'-lK)t)K SPIDKKS. 



Males shew no inclination to build a trapdoor, but if placed 

 in a hole in the ground they will line its sides with very fine silk, 

 and may completely cover themselves in with a delicate web. 



'rhou,^"h I was imable to observe the further stashes of 

 mating in this si)ecie>. a few additional i)oints can l)e supplied 

 from observations on Acaiitliodon kcntariicus I'urcell. another 

 tra]xloor spider. The material came from East London, and I 

 am again indebted to Mr. F. Cruden for it. Last year, on Julr 

 I3tli, I placed a female Acanthodon in a tumbler containing 

 stifif earth, in which a hole of convenient size had been bored. 

 During the night the spider lined this tube with web and con- 

 structed a perfect trapdoor at the top. On July i6th I dropped 

 an adult male Acanthodon on to the earth near the female lid. 

 For ten minutes he merely made repeated efforts to scrample 

 up the sides of the tumbler. Then suddenly he iook up the 

 characteristic courting attitude, much as I ha\e described for 

 Stasbnopus, though the palps were held at higher elevation, the 

 palpal femur being drawn backwards and the tibia directed 

 horizontally. Meanwhile, he was tapping repeatedly and rapidly 

 on the ground with his forelegs. Now and then he commenced 

 to scratch the earth with the forelegs and fangs, but tliis did 

 not continue long, and he resumed the rapid tai)i)ing near to and 

 upon the lid of the female nest. After a few minutes this lid 

 was slowl\- raised and the female appeared, but did not actually 

 come <jut of the nest. At first she shewed hght. and he tem- 

 porarily retired. l)ut on courageously ta])ping her with the tii)s 

 of his long forelegs she soon became c|uiet and allowed him to 

 approach (|uite closely. During coi)ulation, which only lasted 

 three or four minutes, and took place at the moiuh of the tube, 

 the female was almost vertically arranged, her legs and i)al])s 

 drawn liackwards, and not holding the oi:»en lid: the male had 

 his first i)air of legs -iretched over her head region, the tarsi 

 and metatarsi pressing Ijetweeu her chelicera and ])ali)S. .\fter- 

 wards he withdrew his legs, she re-entered her retreat, and the 

 lid closed, lie then remained c|uiet for a long time, but slowly 

 cleaned the spine of his bulbal organ and the tarsi and metatarsi 

 of his forelegs by drawing them between the fangs several times. 

 Unfortunately, the process of si)erm induction was not seen. 



It is clear that the female is only aware of his i^resence 

 when she feels the tapping on lier lid, and as likely as not, judg- 

 ing from her menacing attitude, she does not recognise him as 

 a mate, or, at all events, as a desirable mate; he first has to calm 

 her ruffled feelings, and i)erhai)s arouse her sexual desires by 

 tai^ping rej)eatedly on her l)od\- and legs. 



.Another male and female of this species were allowed to 

 meet on an open tray. \\\> behaviour was much as I have de- 

 scribed already, but for a long time .she took not the slightest 

 notice of his attention--, .\e\ertheless, he continued even when 

 when -he had withdrawn to some distance. When she allowed 

 him to ajjproach, he patted her legs and abdomen slowly and 

 repeatedly with his two forelegs; then they copulated, facing 



