. American spiders and their spinning work. A natural history of the orbweaving spiders of the United States, with special regard to their industry and habits. Spiders. 18 AMERICAN SriDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. Males Before Mating. It is perhaps not strange that there should be such wide differences of opinion, since tlie conclusions are based cliicfly upon the indications of collections. Now, in Nature, the males show themselves in great- est numbers at the pairing period. They appear to mature a little earlier than the females, and their solicitations have begun even before there is reason
. American spiders and their spinning work. A natural history of the orbweaving spiders of the United States, with special regard to their industry and habits. Spiders. 18 AMERICAN SriDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. Males Before Mating. It is perhaps not strange that there should be such wide differences of opinion, since tlie conclusions are based cliicfly upon the indications of collections. Now, in Nature, the males show themselves in great- est numbers at the pairing period. They appear to mature a little earlier than the females, and their solicitations have begun even before there is reasonable hope for favorable response. Thus, at this pai'ticular time they may be found by a collector more readily than at any other, and would show in larger numbers in his col- lection. As most males disap- pear shortly after maturing, and are probably not long lived, while the female survives until after cocooning, collections made after the mating time would be lack- ing in males. I have seen four males of the Banded and three of the Bas- ket Argiope respective- time upon the margni of one female's snare. I have observed two and three males of the Labyrinth spider waiting in the outer courts of the habitation of tlie female of that species, and the same number of the Insular spider ranged near the leafy bow- er of my lady Insularis. I have seen two males of Agalena najvia approaching at one time the door of their lady's silken chamber, although it must be said that one of them promptly ran away when he found that his rival had come nearer than he. It is not unlikely that many females deposit their eggs without previous fertilizing; at all events, I have frequently found cocoons containing infertile eggs. But in the long run, in view of such facts as the above, it is scarcely to be questioned that Nature, who always knows how to hold an even balance in the product of her living creatures, pro- vides a master for every mate. II. The males of Argiope begin to mature about the midd
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectspiders, bookyear1889
