50 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



accuracy of the early observation made by Clerck is thus abundantly con- 

 firmed. The attitude of Lycosa is represented in Fig. 24, which has been 

 drawn from Nature for this work by Mr. Emerton. 



Among the Attidee, De Geer has described the pairing of Epiblemum 

 scenicum (Attus scenicus), which occurred upon a wall. The male mounted 

 upon the body of the female, passing over her head towards her 

 abdomen, under which he advanced one of his palps. He gently 

 raised the abdomen by upward pressure of his legs, and then ap- 

 plied the extremity of his palp to the vulva. An instant afterward the two 

 spiders separated and removed a little distance from one another. The male 

 did not wait long before again approaching, and he repeated many times the 

 action above described. The female did not offer the slightest opposition, 

 but, on the contrary, seemed to greatly enjoy the act. 1 



IV. 



The mating of the Attoids, as told in the delightful pages of Mr. and 

 Mrs. Peckham's Observations on Sexual Selection in Spiders, presents one 



of the most important chapters in 

 the life history of araneads. It 

 is a strange and interesting story, 

 a romance of natural history as 

 fascinating as any love story of 

 modern fiction. These accom- 

 plished arachnologists, who have 



FIG. 24. Male of Lycosa saccata embracing the female. Carried Oil all their studies to- 

 From Nature. (Drawn by Emerton.) , . . , 



gether, have given special atten- 

 tion to the Saltigrades, and they were led into the study of the courtship 

 of these interesting creatures by a desire to solve some of the current 

 problems in natural and sexual selection. Independent of this, the facts 

 recorded are extremely valuable. 



The first group of observations uncovered the habit of the males to 



exhibit themselves before the females in a series of varied movements, 



which may be generally characterized as dancing. The purpose 



Love 0; f |. n j g appears to be. beyond doubt, to attract the attention of 



Dances of 



the Males female, and render her complaisant to the addresses of her 



lover. The courtship of Saitis pulex was thus conducted : The 

 male, when placed in a box with a mature female, at once observed her, 

 although she was twelve inches away. At the distance of four inches he 

 stood still, and then began the most remarkable performances that an 

 amorous male could offer to an admiring female. She eyed him eagerly, 

 changing her position from time to time, so that he might always be in 

 view. He, in the meantime, extended the fore legs upon one side of the 



1 De Geer, L'Hist. des Insectes, page 90. 



