The Bottineau pioneer., 1895-04-13
THE SPIDER MAKES MUSIC.
SINGING OF Two Kinds, But 1nauda'
49,. BILE to Human Ears.

SINGING OF Two Kinds, But Inaudi'
-.. BILE to Human Ears.
It is not generally known that some
spiders can make a noise; in fact, 1t ls
only recently that this has been estab'
lished beyond dispute, though it was
discovered half century ago that
some species possess stridulating Or
gans like those of cricket or a grass
hopper. The present state of our
knowledge concerning these organs.
the method of their use, and their pur'
pose is summarized by r. l. Pocock III
Natural Science, London. Mr.. Pocock
says:
In many spiders. owing to the small
size of the organs and the shril.ness
of the note, the stridulatio1e ecannOt be
heard by human ears, and we can only
infer from analogy that it Is actually
produced. In a spider Of the Southern
hemisphere. however, called Thomi'
soides, it is distinctly audible. The or,
gans that produce it consist Of scra'
per formed by sharp tubercles on the
palp, and ridged area on the man
dible. BY drawing the former up and
down over the latter noise resembling
the buzzing Of a bee is produced. The
palp, is should be explained is a short
limb formed almost exactly like the
legs. but never used for walking.
In another group the huge Indian
bird spiders, so-called because they are
said to entrap and eat birds, sounding
organs of Il different kind are often
found, consisting of series of stringa
Of keys and of strikers, which set them
vibrating.
The purpose Of the sounds has been
a much vexed question. The following
recapitulation Of the opinions Of the
best authorities is given by Mr.. Po
cock:
"Stridulating organs in spiders seem
to exist for two distinct and definite
purposes. In the case Of Lephthy
originally to Theridium, the organs are
better developed in the males than the
females, or are exclusively confined tC
members Of the former sex. From this
fact coupled with the circumstance
that the spiders of these two kinds are
judging by analogy, possessed Of au
ditory organs we may infer, although
as yet without direct proof, that tho
male makes use Of his sounding or
gans during the period of cOurtsh'p
This, as is we'll known, is a time which
to the male of every species is bese1
with exceptional difficulties and dan
gers, owing to the irascible and vora
cious disposition of the more powerful
female. who will often rather make
meal of her suitor than a mate. Con
sequently, to soothe her temper and re
duce her to a proper frame of mind
he is often driven to practice various
charms and ingenious wiles. The
males, for instance, Of some species Of
the Attidae, or jumping spiders, exc
cute fantastic dances and antics, al
described by Mr.. and Mrs. Peckham
and. like peacOcks, make a display the
vile of atever plumes or brigh
colors they possess. So that, since il
seems to be established that the fe
males of the Attidae have in all proba
bility an esthetic sense which is graft
fed by the sight of gaudy ornament:
on members Of the opposite sex, there
appears to be no great extravaganza il
the supposition that the females of the
species of Theridium and Lephthy
phantes. like the females Of our song
birds. not to mention nearer allies
may be charmed by the musical efforts
of their lovers. But whether tbs bt
the object Of the stridulation, or wheth
er it be merely used as a sign of the
specific identity of the approachin:
male, the evidence indicates that il
only serves it's possessor in his rela
tions with the females Of the same OF
of closely allied species.
"On the second case, namely. that OF
Thomisoides and the Avicularlilae, ir
which the stridulating org n is brough
to the same state of perfection in the
females as in the males, the der;
themselves being by analogy unable tc
hear, the available evidence shows
that the sound has nothing directly tt
do with the relations Of one sex to the
other, but that it functions solely as
a danger signal, warning enemies tt
keep their distance. While, however
the signal is genuine enough in the
large and powerful Aviculariidae, Ii
Thomisoides it IS altogether fraudulent
since the spider, which is relatively &
feeble animal, by aping the hummipa
| of bee, succeeds in deluding it's hear
ers into the belief that it possesses
certain dangerous qualities to which
in reality it has no claim"