10 SEX-LORE 



The male makes his advances by pressimg the claw 

 or "hand " of the female, and also by intertwining 

 his tail with hers. He catches hold of the hand of 

 the female, and the two take a promenade together 

 which often lasts for an hour or more (Fig. 6). After 

 this the male digs a hole near a stone, into which they 

 both retreat. When the courtship is at an end, the 

 male is often devoured by the overexcited female. 

 This fate the unfortunate male scorpion shares with 

 his relative, the male spider, who also frequently 

 falls a victim in the act of courtship. 



The female spider is generally larger than the male. 

 Mr. and Mrs. Peckham in their famous study on 

 spiders describe the courtship of spiders as follows 

 (see Fig. 7): "A male spider was placed in a box 

 containing a mature female. He saw her as she stood 

 twelve inches away; the glance seemed to excite him 

 and he moved towards her. When some four inches 

 from her he stood still, and then began the most 

 remarkable performance 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 be always in view. He, raising his whole body 

 on one side by straightening out the legs, and lowering 

 it on the other by folding the first two pairs of legs 

 up and under, leans so far over as to be in danger 

 of losing his balance, which he only maintains by 

 sidling rapidly towards the lowered side. . . . He 

 moved in a semicircle for about two inches, and then 

 instantly reversed the position of the legs and circled 

 in the opposite direction, gradually approaching 

 nearer and nearer to the female. Now she dashes 

 towards him, while he, raising his first pair of legs, 



