Experiments on the Color Sense. 
251 
and abdomen bright red. When she was put back only two of 
the males noticed her, one of these being of the vittata, and 
the other of the niger variety. These two did not dance nor 
display at all, as they had done before, but walked about her, 
eying her attentively, for some minutes. Then one of them, 
and when he was removed, the other leaped upon her without 
any preliminaries. The vittata variety returned and danced a 
little before her, but then retired, and paid her no further at¬ 
tention. The niger, however, danced a long time and leaped 
upon her repeatedly, being as often taken off. The other males 
in the box seemed perfectly indifferent. After a time she was 
removed and another (unpainted) female put in. All of the 
males now became excited and danced before her. She was 
taken out and her cephalothorax, abdomen and legs were 
painted bright blue. When she was returned to the box the 
behavior of the males was entirely different. At first they did 
not notice her at all, though passing close to her, but after a 
time three, and then four of them danced before her, though less 
eager than before. We now put into the box another female 
which was large and heavy with eggs. This condition always 
lessens the attractiveness of the female in the eyes of the males, 
and yet this one now received nearly all the attention. She 
moved about more than the painted female, which, perhaps, 
made her more pleasing. In the end one of the vittata males 
mated with the painted female. 
The next experiments also indicate a perception of color. 
The spiders used were five individuals of Astia vittata, two 
of Phidippus morsitans, and one of Xysticus ferox. 
Astia vittata. 1. June 28. A female that was nearly ready 
to lay her eggs was put into one of our large boxes. On the 
following day she constructed a thick silken shelter in one cor¬ 
ner and laid her eggs, remaining herself on top of them and 
under the covering of web, so that she was hidden from view. 
She was left for twenty-four hours and was then pressed gently 
out and imprisoned in a bottle, while her nest was entirely sur¬ 
rounded by pieces of bright pink paper, two inches in width, 
which were pasted on to the sides and bottom of the box. She 
