Web making spiders—Dangerous wooings—An unkind lady-love—Lizard-eating spiders—Enlightened curiosity—Rival entomologists—Instinct of resignation—A worm-eating spider—Alternative explanation—The dangers of patriotism—Trap-door spiders—Web-flying spiders—Spiders that nearly fly—Spider navigators—The raft and the diving-bell. NONE of the spiders mentioned in the last chapter are web-makers. These latter are not dancers; that is to say, the males do not dance before the females when they wish to recommend themselves as husbands. Instead, they pull at the strands of the web, whilst stationed at its circumference, in a manner which has a distinct meaning for the female, who sits in the centre, and who replies by other twitches. These may be either of an encouraging or repellent nature, and it is only in the former case that the lover ventures to approach. This, however, he must do with extreme caution, and prepared at any moment to drop and hang suspended by a thread should the object of his attentions, who greatly exceeds him in size, change her mind or conceive some cause of displeasure against him. Should he not be sufficiently quick on such occasions, he is liable to be spun up between the long legs of his lady-love as though he were a fly, and disposed of accordingly. This was observed in 1798 by Raymond Maria de Termayer, who remarks upon it: “Perhaps overpowering hunger compelled her to do it, but the act was very ferocious.” The most curious thing in these _webepathic_ courtships, as one may call them, is that the female spider seems to know the particular jerk or twitch of any strand of the web which is made by a male, and to distinguish it, perfectly, from the vibrations set in motion by a fly or other insect that enters it, for upon these occasions, though her back may be turned towards her admirer, she does not trouble to look round, whereas in the latter case she would not only do so, but come rushing down to secure her victim—if she were hungry, perhaps it should be added. On the other hand, as has been already mentioned, the male can interpret the wishes of the female from the movement she imparts to the thread, and regulates his conduct accordingly. Webepathy, therefore, does not seem a name ill-chosen to describe this system of intercommunication of ideas.