BY W. J. RAINBOW. 
359 
In autumn these spiders pair. The sexes usually inhabit the 
same web for a considerable time, the female occupying her 
customary position in the centre, and the male taking up quarters 
on the upper edge of the web. Before running down to the 
female he tries the tension of the web with his feet, after which 
he proceeds nimbly and lightly, so as not to attract her attention 
or disturb her in any way, climbs upon her back, and contents 
himself for a while in moving about in a seemingly objectless 
manner. During these proceedings she is not all resentful, but 
apparently disdains all notice. Emboldened by her apparent 
indifference he endeavours to climb down to the underside of her 
abdomen, whereupon she immediately shows fight. In an 
encounter with an adversary of such prodigious proportions in 
comparison with himself, it is obvious he would be no match; he 
therefore scrambles off as quickly as possible, and dropping out of 
the web, remains suspended in the air, or resting upon an adjacent 
leaf or branch for some time, after which he renews the attack. 
It not infrequently happens that he has to repeat his efforts 
several times, and from these he rarely retires scathless, often 
losing two or three legs. Ultimately, however, he succeeds in 
attaching himself in the requisite position, and performing the 
necessary act of fecundation. 
Towards the end of April or the beginning of May, the 
cocoons are constructed. In Nephila Eclwardsii, the ovisac is 
about t 5 q- in. in length, oval, bright golden yellow, and surrounded 
by an immense quantity of loose silk of a like colour. The cocoons 
contain from 500 to 1000 eggs. After hatching the spiderlings live 
together for two or three weeks, spin a web in common, and eat 
one another or any small insects that may come their way. After 
this the survivors separate, and each constructs a web on her 
own account. 
The following is a list of the described Nephilcv of Australia 
previous to the publication of the present paper. Those species 
marked with an asterisk have been described and figured by Koch 
in Band I. of his admirable work, " Die Arachniden Australiens." 
Localities outside Australia are in italics : — 
