Fabre’s observations on their mating habits are exceedingly interesting, and they have brought to light some very extraordinary phenomena. His notes were made on the species common in the South of France—_Buthus occitans_. Mr. Cecil Warburton, referring to the distinguished Frenchman’s work, quotes the following noteworthy passage in the Cambridge Natural History: “After some very curious antics, in which the animals stood face to face with raised tails, which they intertwined ... they always indulged in what Fabre calls a ‘promenade à deux’ hand in hand, so to speak, the male seizing the chelæ of the female with his own and walking backwards, while the female followed, usually without any reluctance. This promenade occupied an hour or more, during which the animals turned several times. At length, if in the neighbourhood of a suitable stone, the male would dig a hole, without for a moment entirely quitting his hold of the female, and presently both would disappear into the newly-formed retreat.” [Illustration: Plate 35. Photo by P. H. Fabre. SCORPIONS. The early stages in the courtship of the scorpions are full of romance. The two prospective partners for life engaging in a kind of waltz, holding each other’s “hands.” Face page 252.] After the mating, as with the Spiders, the male is often devoured by the female. After any combat with an enemy, such as a _Lycosa_ or a _Scolopendra_, it seems to be _de rigueur_ to eat the vanquished. If the mating period in the case of the higher animals rouses the males to the pitch of frenzy, that frenzy is dangerous only to possible rivals. With the more lowly Spiders and Scorpions ferocity of disposition is a normal feature, and one which can with difficulty be held in check long enough to permit the all-important act of mating to take place. In how far this is accounted for by the extremely deficient senses of sight and hearing, which are such marked features in these animals, it would be difficult to estimate. But that the manner of their display is governed by these deficiencies there can be no doubt. The Spider, having a more or less efficient vision at short range, executes more or less elaborate antics in front of the female, designed, as in the case of the birds, to serve as excitants to fan sexual desire, already smouldering, to a flame. With the purblind Scorpion the Spider-antics are useless; he must proclaim his desire by a pressure of the hand, and by intertwining his tail with that of his prospective mate as they “walk out” together. But Scorpions at one time were credited with a very acute sense of hearing; later investigations, however, fail to yield any evidence whatever that they possess this sense, though experiment has proved that their sense of touch is excessively delicate and seems to reside in the hairs which are thickly distributed over the legs and body. Now, hearing and touch are senses near akin, and the vibrations produced by stridulation may