PU0CEEDI.\(iS, 1914. 53 



kuelt on his back ; tbe second pair rested on tlie male's back, whilst the longer 

 back pair hung down beside the body of the male. 



Then the most curious fact presented itself, that the male was holding the 

 female with its wings, which were hooked over the femora of the front legs. What 

 appeared to be the ovipositor of the female was thrust down perpendicularly into 

 the organ of the male. In this latter observation I subsequently discovered I was 

 at fault, as on February 23rd I again had an opportunity of studying these insects. 

 and instead of being the ovipositor I found that It was the lower half of the 

 ovipositor-shield; the upper portion of the shield remained in a normal position. 

 The fact of the male using his aborted wings to hold the female during 

 copulation was new to me, as it had never occurred to me to imagine that wings 

 could be placed to such use. Jly recumbent position on the snow being very 

 unpleasant, I removed the pair to a box, but as they immediately se])arated I 

 was unable to make any further observation. On February 27th I again had the 

 good fortune to find a second pair mating, and in order to verify tbe observations 

 I had made on the previous pair of these insects, I proceeded to lift them on a 

 sheet of snow with the aid of a piece of bark. Having done this successfull.v 

 without disturbing them, I was able to observe them more leisurely. The female 

 in this ease had the front pair of legs crossed underneath the body, whilst the 

 other two pairs were folded close against her sides. None of tbe legs were touching 

 the male at any point. She was held by the male in the same way as In the first 

 pair observed, by the wings of the male being clasped over tbe femur of the front 

 legs. Both tbe large bill and antennie of the female were folded back between tbe 

 wings of tbe male. In the case of the first pair observed, I thought that the 

 ovipositor was thrust down Into the male organs; this was incorrect. The lower 

 half of the ovipositor-shield is thrust down and is firmly held by the claspers of 

 the male, and the reason I overlooked tbe male organ Is that it is transparent, 

 and viewed against a background of snow is invisible. I pushed the female awa.v 

 from the clasp of the male's wings, but be immediately snapped tlieui together, 

 catching one antenna ; upon my releasing this, he commenced to run off, the female 

 being unheld except by the claspers, and such is the strength of this hold that he 

 was able to run around holding the female In an upright position by this support 

 alone. Whenever the legs of the female touched bis back, his wings shut like a 

 rat-trap over them ; this movement of the wings was repeated at short intervals 

 whenever the legs were removed from this clasp. 



I brought them home and was then able to observe tbe genital organ of the 

 male, which, as I previously stated, is transparent and is directed upward In the 

 inside shell of the ovipositor-shield. This shield opens laterally nearly at its centre; 

 the upper half is stationar.v, whilst the lower half is capable of being deflected at 

 an acute right angle downward ; the tip of this portion which is held by the claspers 

 is armed with short spines and hairs. 



The wings of tbe male, which are less than half the length of the abdomen, 

 are curved downward and are armed on the costal edge with a row of sharp horny 

 spines ; there are a few spines on the lower margin. These no doubt add materially 

 to the holding-power and prevent the femora of the female from slipping along the 

 wings. Tbe suggestion is made that, the male being capable of supporting and 

 carrying the female by the hold of its claspers. an examination of these might add 

 to the knowledge of the structure of these insects and the reason why such a 

 support is possible. Upon reaching home I placed the specimens under a glass 

 for further observation; the female, being unheld and having regained her feet, 

 was able to tow tbe male around on his back ; this she continued to do for two 

 hours, but during tbe first portion of the time the male made frantic efforts to 

 regain his feet, and also to snap his wings over some appendage to the female. 

 Imt In this he was unsuccessful ; it was all to no purpose; she dragged him to death, 

 or very near it. and it was only when I pinched her with my forceps and rendered 

 her partially paralysed that separation from tbe male took place. When this 



