METHODS OF DEFENCE. 67 



Spiders in this condition," he observes, " to determine 

 the point in question, and their behaviour always 

 impressed me as being a genuine feigning of death, 

 and therefore entirely within their volition. The 

 evidence is of such indefinite nature that one can 

 hardly venture to give it visible expression, but my 

 conviction is none the less decided. I may say, 

 however, that my observations indicate that the 

 Spiders remained in this condition as long as there 

 seemed to be any threatened danger ; now and again 

 the legs would be relaxed slightly, as though the 

 creature were about getting ready to resume its 

 normal condition, but at the slightest alarm withheld 

 its purpose and relapsed into rigidity. The slight 

 unclasping of the legs, the faint quivering indications 

 of a purpose to come to life, and then the instant 

 suppression of the purpose, were so many evidences 

 that the power of volition was retained, and that the 

 Aranead might have at once recovered if it had been 

 disposed to do so. Again, I think that I have never 

 noticed anything like that gradual emergence from 

 the kataplectic condition which one would naturally 

 expect if the act were not a voluntary one. On 

 the contrary, the spider invariably recovered, im- 

 mediately sprang upon its legs, and hoisted itself 

 to its snare, or ran vigorously away among the 

 grasses."^ 



Among fish, the Perch and the Sturgeon feign 



1 H. C. McCook, American Spiders (1S89, etc.), vol. ii. pp. 437- 

 445. Romanes has an interesting discussion of the habit of feigning 

 death among animals, and cautiously reaches the conclusion that it is 

 very largely due, not to kataplexy, but to inteUigent action. — Menial 

 Evolution in Animals, pp. 303-316. And for some remarks on this 

 subject by Darwin in his Essay on Instinct, see the same volume, pp. 

 365, 366. Also Ali.x, Esprit de nos Biles, 1890, pp. 543-S48. 



