646 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. | [Vor. XXXVI. 
bring his head down in contact with hers. Although she is 
unable to escape, in many cases she may struggle, carrying the 
male with her for a short distance ; but usually it is the other way, 
and the male jerks the 
female about after hav- 
ing been perched quietly 
on her back for a short 
time. This jerking about 
is not without system, 
for almost invariably the 
2. — Section of a pit and glands of an adult male rd male jerks the female 

Fic. 
myctylus. g, gland tubules; e, epithelium of pit. x3 
somewhat and places one 
side of his head just below the top and a little back of the eye, 
in contact with that of the female, leaving his head there for a 
few seconds and waving his tail with a gentle fanning motion. 
After a short period he jerks the female about in such a way 
that the other side of his head occupies a 
similar position in regard to the female's 
nose, pulling her violently in order to do 
this. This touching one side of his head 
and then the other side to the female's 
snout, accompanied by the more or less 
necessary jerking about in the water and 
fanning movements of the tail, continue pe. 3. — Section of a tubule of 
for some time, and after a considerable pears Cee Den 
number of these jerkings the male slowly — ' 
leaves the female, his cloaca expanded, and is usually followed 
closely by the female, whose nose is near his tail. The male ` 
moves slowly forward and throws his body into serpentine 
undulations, and a spermatophore is emitted which may come 
to the cloaca of the female as she follows him farther along. 
The question naturally arises as to what relation these can 
stant habits have towards the accomplishment of fertilization; 
of course it is evident that it is necessary for the male to be 
followed by the female in order that she may receive the 
spermatozoa which he emits in masses or spermatophores, and 
her following him may be due to an attraction which he exerts 
over her, but what is the nature of this attraction ? 


