No. 1.] SEXUAL SELECTION IN SPIDERS. 53 



without ceremonj'; the second time they had a prolonged 

 struggle, clinching, and falling, thus locked together, a distance 

 of about twelve inches — the height of the box (Fig. 25) ; the 

 third time number one 

 was not discovered until 

 he had cut the still im- 

 mature female out of the 

 web which enclosed her. 

 She ran away, and after 

 that the two males wan- 

 dered about, fighting 

 whenever they met. The 



Fiff. 25. — Philseus militans. Position of males 

 defrauded male, as well when fighting (Irom nature, by L. K.). 



as the other one, now 



courted every female in the box, although so long as they had 

 their own mates they had paid no attention to other females, 

 except to drive them away. 



The following extract from our notes shows that the guard- 

 ing of young females is a habit of the males in this species, and 

 was not the result of artificial conditions : 



"Aug. 17. Found a mature male militaris standing guard, 

 in a tent, over an immature female (one moult from maturity). 

 They seemed very friendly when taken out and put into a bottle. 

 The webs and positions were as we had seen them in our 

 mating-boxes. 



ASTIA VITTATA. 



There is a good deal of interest connected with the study 

 of this species, for the reason that there are two well marked 

 male forms; moreover, their love antics are unusually curious. 

 A description of the two males is unnecessarj', since they are 

 well represented on Plate II. The two forms grade into each 

 other, excepting that the three hair tufts are only found in the 

 fully developed niger form. The vlttata form, which is quite 

 like the female, when he approaches her, raises his first legs 

 either so that they point forward or upward, keeping his palpi 

 stiffiy outstretched, while the tip of his abdomen is bent to the 



