life-history of Atypus piceus. 401 



on the surface of the sand, the end just reaching to the 

 side. I then turned out the male at the opposite side, 

 and he, spreading liis legs, walked rapidly away, keeping 

 close to the side, until he set his foot upon the collapsed 

 tube of the female, when he stopped suddenly ; the next 

 moment he commenced making an opening in the tube, 

 using his fangs for the purpose of tearing an opening. 

 After each effort he paused to tap with his palpi ; 

 after doing this seven or eight times he made a rent 

 right through both sides, and, walking through, he 

 came out at the other side, evidently much to his 

 surprise. I then, with my pliers, picked the end of the 

 tube up, and, as the male came round again, hung it in 

 his pathway, with the result that, coming into contact 

 with it, he stopped as before, commenced to serenade 

 with his palpi, followed by an attempt to force an 

 entrance, more tapping in the short intervals, until 

 at last he tore an opening in the tube, and immediately 

 thrust his palpi and falces through, another tap, and 

 I suppose he concluded he was accepted, for he quickly 

 disappeared down the tube and out of sight. Next 

 morning the rent was neatly repaired. I did not see 

 anything more of the male until July 16th, 1884, when 

 I noticed the skin lying at the end of the tube, pretty 

 good evidence that, after living happily for nine months, 

 he had fallen a victim to the appetite of his partner. 



On October 3rd, 1884, I placed a male in a pot of 

 sand ; then, taking a tube containing a female, I dangled 

 it over the pot, so that the aerial end just touched the 

 sand at one side. The male was then at the opposite 

 side : I gently roused him to activity, and he fairly ran 

 round the pot until he touched the suspended tube, and 

 there he stopped, as if paralysed ; but only for a moment, 

 as if to collect his thoughts. He then ta^jped, and 

 evidently this has some great charm in it for the female. 

 I have tried the same with my finger, but with quite a 

 different result, in the shape of a very sharp reminder 

 that I had better go away. The tapping was followed 

 by attem[)ts to tear an opening. I then interfered, 

 driving him off", which he resented by making most 

 ferocious bites at my pliers. 1 then set the tube in 

 another pot, and turned the male in. On examining, at 

 10.15 p.m., I caught the male serenading, so watched 

 him, and in less than five minutes hv had torn an 



