No. 1.] SEXUAL SELECTION IN SPIDERS. 49 



est. When within a few inches of her he began a rapid dance 

 from side to side, raising the whole body high on the tips of 

 the legs, the first pair being directed forward and the palpi 

 clasped together, with the abdomen turned to one side and 

 lifted up. After a short dance he stood motionless, striking an 

 attitude, as shown in the figure, remaining quiet for half a 

 minute. (Fig. 22.) 

 Then he turned his 

 back on her, moving 

 irregularly about 

 with his legs forward 

 and his palpi vibrat- 

 ing. Again he dances 

 sideways before her, 



„j. ,,+f„~ r.n/^ ol-.^ r ^^S- 22. — Hatirocestuiu splendens. Position ot 



Struumg ana snow- male approacMng female (from nature, by L.K.). 



ing off like a pea- 

 cock, or whirling around and around. When he turned his 

 back we often thought that the female seemed disappointed, 

 since she would then commonly move nearer to him and ap- 

 pear much excited herself. We at first supposed that this 

 turning around was accidental, but it happened so regularly at 

 a certain stage of the courtship that we concluded it was an 

 important part of his display, serving to better show off his 

 brilliant abdomen. Our artist, Mr. Kumlien, while watching 

 the antics in order to draw the spider, called our attention to 

 this habit, not knowing that we had observed it. The fact 

 that among spiders the males take such attitudes as display 

 their best points recalls this passage in one of Darwin's letters : 

 "I am very glad to hear of your cases of the two sets of Hesper- 

 iadse, which display their wings differently, according to 

 which surface is colored. I cannot believe that such display is 

 accidental or purposeless." 



ICIUS MITRATUS. 



The male is quite different from the female, especially in 

 his slender, tapering body and in his long first legs. While in 

 splendens the female was remarkable for the attention that she 



