COMPARATIVE VIEWS OF VARIOUS MATING HABITS. 71 



I scarcely know a limit to the voracity of these orbweaving spiders 

 wh/sn full opportunity is given them to feed upon their natural prey; 

 and I can certainly appeal to any one who has observed the 

 Fema e ac tj ong referred to, whether the whole demeanor of the aranead 

 is not such as to impress him with the sense of a vast store of 

 vitality, and an almost exhaustless activity. Taking, then, the spinning- 

 work and the ordinary action in capturing prey by means of nets as the 

 standard, it cannot be affirmed with truthfulness that female Orbweavers 

 are inactive, or that they suffer in respect of this element from compari- 

 son either with the Wandering tribes or with the males of their own 

 species. 



I might go further and say that when a female Orbweaver is placed 

 upon the leaves of a plant, or even upon the ground among the grasses, 

 she will display an amount of activity in getting from leaf to leaf, and 

 limb to limb, and from point to point, which is surprising in a creature 

 whose habits are so generally sedentary. I have often been amazed at the 

 rapidity and facility with which the largest Orbweavers, as Argiope cophi- 

 naria and argyraspis, could make the circuit of a bush, or travel over a 

 plane surface. 



As to the males of Orbweavers generally, it is certainly not in accord- 

 ance with my observations that they are more active than the females. On 

 the contrary, I am disposed to think them rather lethargic and 

 , . , sluggish fellows. I am aware that it has been said, in corrobora- 

 ness. tion ^ the theory that the female is more inactive than the 

 male, that she will hang to the hub of her orb, or remain motion- 

 less within her tent for hours and perhaps even days. It is true ; but 

 that action is quite as characteristic of the male as of the female. I have 

 seen the males of Cophinaria, in attendance upon a female, hanging upon 

 the outer courts of their lady love's snare, apparently entirely inactive, for 

 as much as two or three or four days in succession. They are very patient 

 in their waiting, and make few movements during the courting period. 



So also it may be said that those Orbweaver males which spin webs 

 that are as perfect after their kind as those of the female, show precisely 

 the same degree of patience in managing their snares and watching for 

 the advent of insects, as is shown by the female. 



If we turn now to the Wandering groups, and make comparison be- 

 tween the males and females of the species of these tribes, I am certain 

 that it will be found that the females are as active as, or even 

 Wander- more active than, the males. During certain seasons of the year, 

 ^ s as, for example, when they are carrying their cocoons, they do 



Com- indeed prepare for themselves a little cave or silken cell where- 

 pared. i n they live until their young are hatched. But during that 

 period, even, the Lycosids may be found running around upon 

 the rocks and over the fields, dragging their egg bag after them. When 



