246 THE COURTSHIP OF ANIMALS 



are entirely different in the two varieties : the black 

 form, assumed to be the later development, " is much 

 the more lively of the two, and whenever the varieties 

 were seen to compete for a female, the black one was 

 successful." 



Professor Poulton, commenting on this particular 

 case, contends that " it must be admitted that these 

 facts afford the strongest support to the theory of Sexual 

 Selection," But do they ? A further examination 

 of the facts will probably show that the red " form " 

 is but an immature example, and this being so, the 

 difference in performance and the invariable success of 

 Othello is at once accounted for. The fact that the 

 " two forms pass into each other " and that the " tufts 

 only occur in the fully developed niger form " is an 

 additional reason for regarding the red form as immature. 



Professor Poulton remarks : " When the males possess 

 any special adornment they make a point of displaying 

 them as fully as possible." If this be so it seems to be 

 a very foolhardy proceeding, akin to holding the pro- 

 verbial " red rag " to a bull : for it is well known that 

 the male Spider seeking a mate carries his life in his 

 hands, at any rate in the case of many species. Mr. and 

 Mrs. Peckham observed several instances of this re- 

 markable sequel to Love's embraces. In describing the 

 female of Phidippus morsitans they remark that she 

 was " a savage monster. The two males we provided 

 for her had offered her only the merest civilities, when 

 she leaped upon them and killed them." The first pair 

 of legs in the males of this species possess " special 

 adornments " in the shape of long white hairs, and it was 

 " while one of the males was waving these handsome 

 legs over his head that he was seized by his mate and 



