File:American spiders and their spinningwork. A natural history of the orbweaving spiders of the United States, with special regard to their industry and habits (1890) (14591579638).jpg

Identifier: americanspiderst02mcco (find matches)
Title: American spiders and their spinningwork. A natural history of the orbweaving spiders of the United States, with special regard to their industry and habits
Year: 1890 (1890s)
Authors: McCook, Henry C. (Henry Christopher), 1837-1911
Subjects: Spiders -- United States
Publisher: (Philadelphia) author, Academy of natural Sciences of Philadelphia
Contributing Library: MBLWHOI Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MBLWHOI Library

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strong-enough to tolerate her lovers presence for several days, but not sufficientlywarm to encourage the further advances which he made, and which costhim his life. One female was attended for a number of days by a male who keptnear and just above her, often feeling her gently with his fore legs. Isupposed the female to be mature, but could not decide without capturingher. However, I one day found her moulting, apparently the last moultpreceding complete maturity. A few hours after the moult I found mypatient gallant trussed up and hanging close by his lady love, wlio hadnot deigned to eat him. (Fig. 5.) In sjjider world, at least, it wouldsometimes seem an ill advised action to haste to the wedding. I have, Sexual Selection in Spideiy, page 55. ^ Preussische Spinnen. ^ Proceedings Essex Institute. WOOING AND MATING. 23
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Fig, 5. Female Argiope with a fresh moult and slaughtered matehanging to her web. 24 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. but less frequently, noted similar treatment of the male Insularis by hismate. He is better equipped for taking care of himself than the maleCophinaria, but, nevertheless, sometimes pays the penalty of liis rashness and importunity. Notwithstanding the above facts, I have reason to know that mattersare sometimes reversed, and the female is the victim of the cannibal ap-petite of the male. Among my own specimens, for example, I^^^^^ have had a male of the Furrow spider, which was enclosed in aFemalJs J* ^^^^^g ^^^^^ ^^° females, satisfy his hunger by devouring oneof his partners. Baron Walckenaer saw a male of Epeira incli-nata take advantage of a female of his species, which was not able to stirwithout difficulty, being full of eggs, to attack, garrote, and eat her.i Mr. Campbell observed the male of Tegenaria guyonii destroying thefemale. Of one pair which he

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