this period the female increased eon 

 suterahly in size, and by 6 May she 

 was very large. Mating took place 

 again on that day. commencing at 

 9.22 and ending at 4.45 p.m. 



1 have no note of mating alter 

 this period. 



On IS May the female made her 

 white, lens-shaped egg-sac, about I 

 inch in diameter, and attached h\ 

 silk lines to the cage wall. When it 

 was completed, she rested astride it. 

 Ihc male close by and facing her. 



On 4 June I opened the cage ami 

 allowed the male to escape. I cut 

 away a portion of the egg-sac. ami 

 found the eggs to be bright green 

 The egg-sac was now more or less 

 attached to a piece of dead banana 

 leaf in the cage, but the female 



Plate 4. 



fSQpefa \a\ta. Ntale's left palp has just 

 been withdrawn from female's epieynum. 

 and Aftibollii can be seen extending from 

 palp to epigynum just prior to removal 



invariably rested clasping it to he. 

 her legs curved around the edges. 



On 20 June I returned from sonic I 

 weeks' absence and found the egg. I 

 sac slill intact, attended by the ! 

 female. 



No detailed diary notes were kepi 

 from this period on. I lie fefl\jjj e 

 remained with the egg sac until (he 

 spiderlings emerged in spring, and 

 then stayed cpiietls while they clus- 

 tered close around her for some 

 weeks. They appeared to Iced on the 

 prey which she caught, clustering 

 close around her head and mouth 

 while she held it in her chel'uvnu 

 and predigesled it. 



The female and young spiders 

 were released in my garden in late 

 spring. 



Plate 5. 



hopctla viisltt leinale with c^e sac 



248 



Vict Nal Vol. 88 



