Survival of the bravest

There is little mystery why some female fishing spiders are so aggressive that they eat their suitors before mating can take place ("Not So Spineless," SN: 1/5/08, p. 10). It would take a very bold male to court a female knowing he is going to be lunch. To maintain such inherited aggressive behavior in the female, one only has to assume that both sexes inherit the same aggressive trait.

ROBERT STENTON, CINCINNATI, OHIO

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