WOOING AND MATING. 31 



reminded one of the bluster of two boys each threatening and daring the 

 other, and neither willing to be the aggressor. In a few minutes, however, 

 they both wandered away. 1 



Several males of a species of Icius when placed within boxes proved to 

 be very quarrelsome, and had frequent fights, but were never found to be 



injured. Indeed, after having watched hundreds of similar bat- 

 ^ 1US ' ties between the males of this and other species, Professor Peck- 

 Duels ham has reached the conclusion that they are sham affairs, gotten 



up for the purpose of displaying before the females, who com- 



monly stand by, interested spectators. This harmless nature of the conflicts 



of spider duelists is in accordance with my own observations, and also in 



accord with the few statements that have been made by other observers. 



The males of Dendryphantes capitatus are very quarrelsome sparring 



whenever they meet, chasing each other about, and sometimes 

 n , y ~ clinching. The Peckhams put eight or ten males into a box, 



and they fought; and, although it seemed cruel sport, it was 

 soon apparent that they were very prudent little fellows, and were fully 

 conscious that 



" He who fights and runs away 

 Will live to fight another day." 



In fact, after two weeks of hard fighting, the observers were unable to 

 discover one wounded warrior. When approaching for combat the males 

 hold the first legs up in a vertical direc- 

 tion. Sometimes they drop the body upon 

 one side, as they jump about each other. 

 These movements are very quick, and they 

 are always ready for a passage at arms. 2 

 Two males of Zygoballus bettini, while 

 executing a dance before a female, engaged 

 in a quarrel. They ran savage- 



FIG. 11. Positionfwo male Saltigrades, 



twenty-two minutes, during One Zygoballus bettini, when fighting. (After 

 T . . Tiii- Peckham.) 



round remaining clinched for six minutes. 



When fighting, the abdomen is held nearly at a right angle with the 

 cephalothorax. (Fig. 11.) The combatants appeared tired at the close of 

 the battle, but after a short rest were perfectly well and fought a number 

 of times subsequently. 3 



Several males and females of Philaaus militaris were placed together 

 in a box. Among the males was a large fellow, who proved to be a 

 universal bully. In the course of time another male, almost his size, was 



1 Observations on Sexual Selection in Spiders of the Family Attidse. Occas. Papers Nat. 

 Hist. Soc. Wis., Vol. I., 1889, page 39. 



2 Peckham, id., page 45. . 3 Idem, page 48. 



