Peckkam—Revision of the Attidce of North America . 357 
important to know whether they show any interest in the dis¬ 
play. Here we have plenty of evidence. As among insects, 
the males are usually much more numerous than the females, 
and from our studies we think it highly improbable that a fe¬ 
male ever mates with the first male that comes along. She re¬ 
jects the advances of one after another; she flies and is pursued; 
she watches with great attention, the display of imany males, 
turning her head from side to side as they move back and forth 
before her; she becomes so charmed as even to respond with 
motions of her own body. If we may judge by her attitude she 
is observant of every posture that the male takes, and appre¬ 
ciative of his every claim to beauty. 
It is true that we could not detect superiority in the males 
that were chosen, but this could hardly be expected. The be¬ 
lief that there is such choice is forced upon us by innumerable 
manifestations of the fact that whenever there is a striking 
modification in the appearance of the male at the mating season 
this particular part is brought into view during the display 
which accompanies courtship. 
In one species, Msevia vittata, with its two distinct male forms, 
we have direct evidence of selection of one color rather than the 
other by the female, for niger, the black variety with the cock¬ 
ade, always carries off the palm. In the display of the other 
male, which looks much like the female, and may therefore be 
supposed to be the original type, the spider, while still at a 
distance from her, takes a most theatrical pose, lifting his ceph- 
alothorax and first legs high in the air, and dropping his abdo¬ 
men until the point touches the ground. As he approaches her 
more closely he changes his position, lying flat with the first 
legs outstretched in'a way that is seen in no other species. 
In niger the first position is taken and kept throughout the 
display. When the spider comes close to the female he remains 
fixed and motionless, with head raised and abdomen dropped. 
This male is not exactly beautiful but he is undeniably striking 
with his jet-black body, white legs, and triple tuft on the head. 
The under surface of his abdomen has metallic reflections which 
are shown to great advantage by the erect position. A black 
