THE SENSES AND THEIR GROANS. 317 



I 



with the fingers near the apex of the abdomen, he moved his abdomen up 

 and down, and its base or the serrated valve near the base of the thorax 

 was rubbed upon. The female of the species does not possess these or- 

 gans. l 



Mr. F. Maule Campbell 2 lias taken up these observations of Westring, 

 and in a valuable and interesting paper added much to our information. 

 He made special studies, both of the male and female of Stea- 

 Stridula- to( ] a g U ttata and Steatoda bipunctata. In the fore extremity of 

 the abdomen he found, in the male of Guttata, that the socket 

 is a complete ring with some strong chitinous spurs on the in- 

 side of its external edge (Fig. 299), which is also roughly serrated. That 

 of the female is divided into two parts, the inferior being smallest, while 

 the superior, as in the male, is the deepest. In the female (Fig. 298) 

 there are no spurs. The inner edge, however, is undulated, and in points 

 becomes angulated, while a little below are stiff hairs on small protuber- 

 ances. The cliitinous thoracic extension of the male is marked on its 



FIG. 298. Flo. 299. FIG. 300. 



The stridulating organs of Steatoda guttata, male and female. (After Campbell.) 

 FIG. 298. Female ; view from above, of chitinous ring or socket attached to abdo- 

 men, covering the union with thorax. FIG. 299. The same part of the male. 

 FIG. 300. View from above of chitinous extension of thorax of female. 



superior surface with many fine, parallel, transverse grooves, which are 

 absent in the female. (Fig. 300.) In the same position on both sexes are 

 several ridges which are less numerous in the male. Thus, it appears 

 that while it is likely that individuals may vary in details, the female of 

 Steatoda guttata has organs adapted to stridulation, . as well as the male. 



Mr. Campbell also examined both sexes of Steatoda bipunctata, and 

 found that the socket of the male is much shallower than those of the 

 male and female of Guttata. The inside of the external edge is rough, 

 and the sides are lined with a row of bristles seated on prominences. The 

 only opposing surface is a spinate ridge on the base of the thorax, which 



1 Since tliis original discovery Westring bad heard many males of Thoridinni and Stea- 

 toda stridnlating. Among these he mentions Theridinm eastaneum Clerck, Theridinm (Stea- 

 toda) bipunctatum (page 1S5), Theridinm hammatum, Theridium alhnmacnlatum (page 18C), 

 Tlieridinm (Steatodos) guttatum (page 188). 



2 On Supposed Stimulating Organs of Steatoda guttata and Linyphia tenehrieola, Linn. 

 Soc. .lour. Xool., Vol. XV., 1K0, page 152. 



