The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1869-07-30
miscellaneous.
PERFORMING FLEAS.

bers, and that those little tyrants of the
night, the fleas, have at last been pun
ished for their numerous misdeels.
Mr.. Kitchingman is now to be found
at 22l Regent street, corner of Maddox
street, with his troupe of performing
fleas, or rs his handbills have IL, ,"Train-
ed Apterous Insects, the only speci-
mems of the Articulata in the world
ever taught to perform"
Mr., Kitchingnan is a young English
man of good address with the neatest
fingers and the most ingenious turn of
mind ever came across, AMI suppose
there is no man in the world who knows
more about fleas and their habits than
he does, ald he can tell their history
with great deal of quaint fun.
entered the room when 1t was blow
ing and raining hard. and very cold; i
found Kitchingman warming his fleas.
There was bright fire burning, bit
of wood was placed On the mantlepiece.
On one side of the wood were the car
riages, ships, etc., drawn by the fieas,
themselves suspended by their harness
in mid air and as quiet as mice. Poor
things! possibly they were taking a
nap, or they might have been frighten-
ed by the thunder. Certain it is, as Mr..
X. informs me that cold weather shuts
them up, and they do not perform so
well as when it is bright, shining, and
warm. ..#
On a miniature billiard table, the sur
face of which is white paper, so that the
fleas can easily be seen, the performance
of the learned insects take place. All
all the apparatus used has been most
beautifully carven out Of ivory by Mr..
Kitchingman, and exhibits great neat
ness and design on the part of the flea
trainer. l was first shown an ivory box
with glass at each end; in this were
several tleas being broken into harness.
Wild fleas are put in here, and if they
jump and kick they cause the wheel to
revolvc, and at the same time knock
their heads on the top of the wheel.
Two or three days in the "training
wheer' with no food soon brings the
tleas to their senses, and then, like
young troop horses in a cavalry riding
school, the trainer "bits" them, and be-
gins to "handle' them. But the flea
has to be "bitted" Tor harnessed) if you
please. Mr.. Kitchingham tells me this
operation is exceedingly difficult, for
the flea must not be pinched, crushed,
or his legs broken, or he is good for
nothing; and, at the same time, care
must be taken not to let the wild coli
escape, which event is very likely Il
happen in the hands of clumsy train
er. The flea must be taken between thu
finger and thumb of the right hand, ,ant
then, by dexterous manipulation, trans
ferred to u position between the finger
and thumb of the left hand, an opera
ton requiring some six distinct quick
but careful movements. The flea must
! be so arranged that he is held tight
while his head only is visi bic; his heat
must be placed in favorable position
for receiving the moose. This moose il
made of exceedingly fine hair, Joined
with peculiar knot; it is slipped ovoi
the tiea's head, and made fast, but no
too fast, or the flea will be throttled. ]
suggested that the hair might be fasten
ed to the flea with gum, but Mr. .tell'
me he has tried it, and there is no gun
which the flea will not break when i
becomes dry. The flea having beer
haltered, he is at once fastened on to tn
end of II long loose chain, of exceedingl,
fine gold wire; tethered in this muIne
he is allowed TO kick and plunge ano
hop land possibly swear) as much as ht
likes till he is tired. After two or three
tetherings he becomes tractable, and Cal
be put into regular single or double har
ness. IL is most curious u remark how
that the elephants vi the forest OF Ceyloi
and the tieas of our bedrooms are alik,
subjugated to the service uf man b.
the process OF starving and lettering
only, indeed, the tackle required differ
considerably III strength and form, bu
the principle is the same.
When the flea become tractable he i
fea by being placed on II bit Of raw beef
at which he sucks greedily. Quaere
could we not utilize raw beel rs bal
for flea trap" 10 carry about with u
on continental tours, etc.; by s.llln;
the tleas to Mr.. Kitchingham we nigh
help to pay our hotel bill. The regula
fleas are fed over night upon the bacl
of their masters hand he feeds a
many as eight or nine at time. The.
bury their proboSces deep into the skin
and, when sucking, turn their tails u
into the air like duck turns his tai
skyward when hunting for worms i
the mud, They would, if allowed so I
do, feed for four hours. Mr.. X. has oh
served that they act like pumps, tina
the blood will run out from them whel
their stomachs are full. He therefor
leaves them on his hand till he know
by this sign that they are as full as the
can hold, and then he takes them O
his hand. But this must be done care
fully, or the proboscls, thrust into tn
, skin, like the boring tube OF an artesia
well, is liable to be injured. Sometime
the fieas will feed freely, sometimes the
won't eat at all. Mr.. X. thinks the
, have their tempers like ourselves; som'
! times they feel hungry and up to wors
anl sometimes dull at their tasks an
5 off their feed. A performing flea,
r well looked after will live eight or mir
= months.A great many livefour month
/ Some fleas are chicken-hearted, or hay
= bad constitutions, and die in harness
a a few days. . f ....
a Every night each flea is put into
= separate sleeping room flannel is G.
0 into squares and one flea placed betwe'
q two of these miniature blankets. III
g blankets are piled one over the other,
!, flea between each, till they are all sto,
Y ed away in their berths. The pile of ile