i<;r, 



THE AMEBIC AN NATURALIST [Vol. XLIV 



ants, while this is seldom the result in battles between 

 males. I once saw a male of Phidippus purpuratus kill 

 his mature mate, and McCook (1890) has listed such 

 cases in agelenids; but such happenings are very rare, 

 and occur only when the male is as powerful as the fe- 

 male. In the great majority of species the male is deci- 

 dedly afraid of the mature female, at least until after he 

 has mated with her, and he does not exhibit towards her 

 those aggressive movements which she often displays 

 towards him. His embrace need not mollify her, for in 

 certain epeirids and lycosids she lias been seen to kill him 

 immediately after the mating. It is interesting to note 

 that one of the most general motions made by the male 

 in courtship is the raising and extension of the forelegs 

 towards the female, which is but a modification of a 

 spider's general attitude of defense— a motion exhibited 

 by both sexes when strongly disturbed. 



Xow there is courtship by the male only when he does 

 exhibit this fear. Accordingly, we may conclude that 

 courtship by the male spider results from a combination 

 of the state of desire for and fear of the female. This 

 explains satisfactorily why in some cases there is court- 

 ship while in other eases there is not. Courtship by the 

 male continues until he has learned that the female is not 

 hostile towards him ; and his successive advance and re- 

 treat in her direction gives him the opportunity of expe- 

 riencing, so learning, her degree of aggressiveness. By 

 this courtship he advertises himself as a male, for no 

 female shows such movements; and he may at the same 

 time prominently display his ornamentation. 



But we have neither reason to suppose that he is con- 

 cious of influencing the female thereby, nor that he is 

 conscious of exhibiting particular personal attractions 

 towards her. For in those lycosids where there is little 

 secondary sexual difference the male may have as com- 

 plex courtship movements as in cases where he is more 

 ornamental. And it is assuming too much about a 

 spider's mentation to postulate that the male is not only 



