, 1877-01-13

on IN a1isllks 1otsery thus forming sort
Of treadmill. Thu N1td aes hndlog ttseliin thIs
perpetfatinE aertee Of tho mad hops and tunapt
Y which II is addicted in state OF fretdog,.'
Ftnuing. aitsf numbetlesa experiments, that IT
each bound merely bruises Itself against tho
and settles down to lie quiet exercise Of Walk.
Ing. -;
Sfr. Dali believes that the entire education Of
the flea Is completed when It has learned ID
vns q Tic tt ot Ike "a .tstc%ens m n thst 1s IT,
fraininE OH the treadmlll-the literal ~ breaking
on the whceit'- all the slrtl1 necessary "a
accomplish tl'is object; for he saw An untained I
flea with miniature chain and bail attached to
one of H. feet, and the animal was dancing about
IN = perfect frenzy.
The performances Of the deas are Of twu
Kinds: n the i'rst Of which they arc attached to1
be. objects. The former portion Of tha e.
h!bitlon Is very interesting, as the Insect hcra
displays Its extraordinary strength In pushing,
pulling and bearing burdens. The horsc-c4fg,
eea ya1e. e rh'sh
tletr kind; and the dcas are fastened TO them bY
lneahs Of a minute wire connecting With tino
sllk hana enctEellnE, the!r body, and tied ia
ses S. q fhs1 'si f., :'sa tint tns, te teS
Ted, o.l grain; yet the street-car dragged about
by one OF thesc tiny creatures weighs 110 grains,
u about ,A0 times the weight OF It's little pro-
pG!ier' F'cas 9t unutua1 vigor aomettmes occur
1t Ia worthy OF note that the leas which infcst
dogs arc less atronG than the human parasite,
and an, require more frequent feeding. The insect
{ xlil commonly sustal1 four days, abs.lncnoe
weeks q starvation, although With diminishing
size: Their term OF life Ii included ia about
twelve month";, and their period Of activity un-
5, det training lasts about eight months. Mr.
kV ftn jtaw $lSrA N.A
once had flea which lived to til ags Of
twentg-three months, but, during the last two
months Of its cxlatencc, it was ID condition OF
extreme weakness.
Mr. Dali tlitpks that, in al the performances
Of tle educated dcaR. their movements arc sole
II animated by m entlearor to carape from their
bonds; but, by cslnnfngiv iv.lertaed machinery,
theae movements are made TO wear an appear.
dragging burdens the fcas are PLACED upon
ahcct OF blottfng-papcr, which affords 4 good
hold Tor tho hooklets appended 10 their feet;
and, a. each flea antshes It's role, Il is turned
sslf in frnittcss Efforts to regain iis liberty.
When The lea il attached TO "a irnmoyablo OF
leet, u y y liked in : perpendiculae position by
means % ol awire fastencA to ~ belt. "usu-
but, II disturbed BY the vibration Of It's wire,
as produced by. knocking on tbs table, 1t viii
work tsllrnhs shout, seeking something TO takc
hold Of. II, then, segmcnts Of finest wire,
4A'!a " Ut uLAcF representations OF
objects in miniature are attached to is fore
fect,' re shall have It apparently branllshing
q stick or sword, fanntng. performing on = NIT
atcal instrument, etc,-all Of which Is much
t1tation. 1'wn IDEAS, furnished With segmonts
Of finest wire on their fore feet and placed
with their renral sItles 10 near that the minis
swords tan touch, but not the tnsecta' feet, giyn
= representation Of duelnot much worsc than
Tint usual 10 most theatres. In their struggles
70 reach the adjacent object, Il would be strange
Il the little wires did not t1ash occasionall7.nS
The nost amusing part Of tho hea-cnteftaln-
mcnt Is that e1ecutcd BY the dancers, Of which
orchestra are placed above little mustc-box,
whose vibrations cause them 10 gcsAcnuto
violently for few moments. fastened as tb.y
are TO their posts. Below them, several pairs ii
dcas Fastened BY lIttlc bar to each other in
paErs. those OF each couple Just SO far apart
that thpy cannot touch each othc1) arc sppar-
emily waltztnE. An inspection shows that the
two composing each pair arc pointed in opps,-
gram Of forces ia produced, the forward intcn-
ton converted to Z rotary motion, ludicrously
Initiating the habits Of certain higher verte-
Alr. Dallts explanation Of the principles nv
which the flea Stimulates the Intelligent ma
neurrcs Of animals far higher In the scale of In
tclleciual endowment, Is much more reasonable
than the proposition that 40 minute and naiur-
al,y.unintercsting m insect can BY any sort OF
discipline be trained to The voluntary pciorn,-
ancc OF the fcass 1t executes under the man.
aEeIncnt OF clever Snowman. 1t Is now some
iorty years since the proprietor Of tho exhibition
which IT, Da'1 attended originated ths idea Of
fur coa1ing coins from tho pockets Of tho public
Into h!s owu*psivate treasury, He has published
pamphlet containing tho records OF hts cxperi-
ststement: "Tske = wel|.ird W. W. [Ciaa i sn,i
starved dea, and place them under glass