450 SUPPLEMENT 



ascended, he walks gently over the web, approaches the female 

 by little and little. If she remain quiet, he touches her gently 

 with one of his fore-feet, and quickly draws back, and then the 

 female makes some slight movements to touch him in turn. 

 During this, which appears to be the prelude of the coupling, 

 the anteunulae of the male half open at their extremity, the 

 buds which enclose the generative organs become humid, 

 and the sexual part of the female also opens a little; then 

 the male, emboldened, inserts there one of his antennulae, 

 and retires. A moment after, he returns, and inserts the 

 other antennula. He touches the female several times 

 in succession in the same manner, using the two antennulae 

 alternately. During the act, which appears to consist only in 

 these simple touchings, the male introduces into the female 

 organs a part which appears to be the organ of generation, 

 issuing from the bottom of the antennulae during the act, and 

 re-entering there immediately after. The same precautions 

 are used by the males of those species which do not spin. 

 Audebert has observed, that in a species commonly found in 

 houses, a single act suffices for the fecundation of all the eggs 

 which a female can lay at different times, for many years in 

 succession. In general there is but one brood of eggs in the 

 year, and which, in our climates, takes place towards the end 

 of summer, or at the commencement of autumn. 



Soon after the females are fecundated, their belly, always 

 much larger than that of the male, increases very much. All 

 are oviparous, and lay a great number of eggs. The spinners, 

 and those which form no web, envelope them with a thick 

 bed of white silk, in the form of a cocoon ; some place them 

 on a tree or wall. Some species cany their's enveloped in a 

 round cocoon, very close, and they are often seen dragging, 

 this cocoon after them, by means of a thread which keeps it 

 attached to the hinder part of their body : it has the form of a 

 truncated ovoid, of a grey or whitish colour, and divided longi- 



