male intently, but often refuses him in the end, even after dancing before her for a long time.” Of another species—_Epiblemum scenicum_—they write: “The females seemed to have some difficulty in choosing from among the males, but after a decision has been reached and a male accepted, there appeared to be complete agreement.” A species of the genus Iritis, which seems to have baffled identification, was watched for hours under natural conditions as well as in confinement.” A dozen or more males, and about half as many females, were assembled together within the length of one of the rails. The males were rushing hither and thither, dancing opposite now one female, now another; often two males met each other, when a short passage of arms followed. They waved their first legs, sidled back and forth, and then rushed together and clinched, but quickly separated, neither being hurt, only to run off in search of fairer foes.” These most patient observers seem to have been convinced that whenever Spiders possess vividly coloured areas on their bodies they are not only conscious of this fact, but desire to make the most of such splendour during the period of love-making. Thus they interpret the behaviour of a curiously ant-like Spider—_Synageles picata_—which has the first pair of legs especially thickened, flattened on the anterior surface, and of a highly iridescent steel-blue colour. As he approaches the female he pauses “every few moments to rock from side to side, and to bend his brilliant legs so that she may look full at them; ... he could not have chosen a better position than the one he took to make a display.” And similarly they interpret the movements of another species—_Dendryphantes capitatus_—which has a bronze-brown face, rendered conspicuous by snow-white bands. The attitude he assumes when sexually excited is one which seems, to them at any rate, to serve admirably to expose this feature to the watchful female. But he has other charms, and his “antics are repeated for a very long time, often for hours; when at last, the female, either won by his beauty or worn out by his persistence, accepts his addresses.” _Habrocestum splendens_—unhappily these creatures have no names in common speech—possesses an abdomen of a magnificent purplish red, and the attitude which he assumes at courtship they regard as one designed to display this to the full. Another case of quite remarkable interest is that of _Astia vittata_, because the males appear to be dimorphic. That is to say, they appear under two quite distinct forms, the one red, like the female; and the other black, with three tufts of hair just behind the head. The attitudes and the movements of courtship, it is significant to remark, are entirely different in the two varieties: the black form, assumed to be the later development, “is much the more lively of the two, and whenever the varieties were seen to compete for a female, the black one was successful.”