Observation was discontinued at 

 Lhis point, and at 1.55 p.m. when 

 the paif w-' s next ohseived, the male 

 h;i ii his left palp inserted. Ercc- 

 (l0 ,is and pauses were timed and 

 O^d, and after 2 ho " rs 20 mins - 

 the left palp was removed and 

 cleaned, 



A summary ol the day".s mating 

 ..ctiviiics is :is follows; 

 hirst insertion right palp — 



3 hrs. 3 mins. 

 In-! insertion left palp — 



2 hrs. 



Second inset lion right palp 



I hr. 8 mms 



Second . iscrtkwl left palp — 



app. 2 hrs, 20 inins. 



Alter i his, milling took place 

 mark everv dav, usually for periods 

 □I 940 horns. The spiders were ted 

 on moths, praying manlids and 

 grasshoppers, and water was avail- 

 able in the cage. 



Hie pair was watched daily. On 

 M April the male's energy seemed 

 io reach Us peak. The periods of 

 expansion and rest became progres- 

 sively longer. Al the climax of the 

 longct periods Oi expansion, the leg 

 spines during the final erections rose 

 »hnrply to nearly 90 degrees, and 

 snapped down again rapidly. The 

 kt^HltUOelt/chii disappeared from sight 

 liming resting periods, and did not 

 much From full inflation during 

 active periods, bulging well out 

 beyond both sides of the sheath. 



During one of the male's palp 

 cleaning penods, the female was a 

 little restless, but did no! move from 

 the male, who more or less encircled 

 liei, holdum He i with his legs and 

 I iciTit! in the same direelioii Hk 

 tit si pair wect- n» front of her. his 

 se«0rld pair were between her second 

 and thiul pair, his third bclweer. liei 

 thud and fourth. and his 'on-h 

 helm.d her lourth pan. During pnlp 



cleaning the male made the custom- 

 ary intermittent shuddering move- 

 ments. 



On 21 April mating was observed 

 again, after a period of several days 

 with little activity, although the 

 spiders were not under constant sur- 

 veillance during this time. There 

 was no mating on 22 but on 23 at 

 l 1.25 the male inserted his right palp 

 I his palp appeared to remain in 

 operation until 4.15 p.m. when it 

 was removed. At 4.35 the left palp 

 was insetted, and at 8.55 mating 

 ended. 



No furthei mating was seen until 

 6 May. During this lime the lem.de 

 led on moths, cockroaches, blowflies 

 and one bulldog ant. After captur- 

 ing her prey she would bite and 

 manipulate u. then circle around it, 

 lifting the spinnerets high and touch- 

 ing them to the cage wall on cither 

 side of the insect to place strands 

 of silk across it, When the prey was 

 hilly wrapped and still, she lifted it. 

 fieeing it to some extent from the 

 cage wall before settling down lo 

 feed. Once she accepted a blowfly 

 and led without wrapping it. During 



Plate 3. 



Mate anil It mule fSOptdd Va$Ul muting. 

 I ..-male's tilted abdomen v»n be seen on 



left ot pictu.c 



S-.-ptcmbc-r, 1971 



247 



