84 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



of the markings of birds, the question with which we 

 are at present concerned is whether the female exerts 

 any choice of a mate dependent upon color, and whether, 

 if she does so, it is possible that the markings of a 

 species might in course of time be changed by this 

 means. Wallace asserts that there is no evidence that 

 the female is in any way influenced by color in choosing 

 a mate. Among butterflies it does indeed seem incredi- 

 ble that any such selection can take place, and Mr. 

 Wallace presents the argument against this in the 

 strongest possible light. His argument is controverted 

 by Poulton, however, with considerable force. * Prof. 

 Geo. W. and Elizabeth G. Peckham have published a 

 paper entitled Observations on Sexual Selection in 

 Spiders of the Family Attidse,f in which they advocate 

 the factor of sexual selection in the production of the 

 colors of spiders. They show that in this group the 

 female is fierce and pugnacious, which trait, according 

 to Wallace, should be accompanied with a surplus of 

 vitality and accordingly with brilliant colors, as he 

 claimed to be the case with the humming-birds. But in 

 this group the males are nearly always brilliantly colored, 

 while the females are inconspicuous. On the other hand, 

 the dull colors of the female could not have been originated 

 for protection, for "all the species of this family have 

 covered nests. " The most important part of the paper 

 is devoted to a minute description of the courting habits 

 of different species of Attidae. In conclusion the authors 

 sum up the results of their observations as follows: 

 " The fact that in the Attidce the males vie with each 

 other in making an elaborate display, not only of their 

 grace and agility but also of their beauty, before the 

 females, and that the females, after attentively watching 



* The Colors of Animals, 291-297. 



t Natural History Society of Wisconsin. 



