Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-11
THE WONDERFUL FLEA
HIS EYES MULTIPLY OBJECTS 4
THOUSAND TIMES.

appearance Cnsler the Microscope Man
ner OF breathing Not Knovr-Ths i1cs's
Great Streugth-Severai varie.ies--Gr~ss
Fighsers--Rapidiey Of MuatiptsCasion.
Let Us put our Tea Under the microscope
Il seems - be clothed IN . SORT of sraaor
formed Of Brown, overlapping plates saa,
are eIcesdiasly tough as to be almost iD-
deseruesib.s Its hesd b snail and very
thin, and il eSs u single sys upon each SIDE.
THIS eye is black, and the rags OF light SON.
riiaes within 1t like sparks of IRA Puget
managed to hook Through ooe Of these eyes,
and hs found that /: diminished objects in
size, while it multiplied them IA numbers
naan aprearsag like an army Of fairies and
the flame of a candle becoming thousand
tiny starA Prom the shape of TN head. and
for otker reasons, tie fies is supposed 10 use
only one eye at q tiase. Tie offensive weapon
Of the fea is composed Of two palpi. or lesl-
egs. two piercaTs and q nonxre When 10
feeds It stands erect, thrussing this sucker
into the Eesh, and ie win ess without inter
mission until disturbed. for II vosds as fast al
i. swallows it's food Il is interesting TO PUT
several in glass, and. giving them . piece
OF raw meat. sec sAsm sill sanding on their
hind sgs 10 suck up its juices
MANNER OF BREATHING
Their manner Of hreathinS is still cndete-.
mined. but it Is though: most probable that
they receive afr into their bodies through
s,rau holes ct the end Of the palpi
The legs Of Tea are narvels Of strength
and elasticity. They ere Joined TO the body
by long tendons that ect Ike wire springs
In making It's leap, which, it Is said, can
cover two bnn6rcd times rs own length, the
flea draws tho lee UP ctose 70 the body and
then throws it out with great force, but tho
impulse proceeds from tho first joint alone,
the others only increasing It by their st-rtch
while the leap is being made
Fleas are possessed Of great strength.
Moufet tells OF mechanic who made .
gold chain. as long - his finger. that flea
dragged after him, and q golden chariot,
which he drew also. Bincley wrinrs Of a
matchmaker IN the Strand who bad an
ivory four wheeled chaise, with a coach
man on its box. drawn By fea Tho
same man afterwards made a carriage with
xix horses. q goodman, four persons inside,
two footmen behind and position on one of
the horses, ali Of which was drawn by SIN
gle flea. Latriella mentions a flea which
dragged q silver cannon OF tweaey-four
times its own weight, mounted ON wheels,
and showed no fear when It WAS charged with
gunpowder and GRID of, Rene says tina. he
saw three Gees draw,ng tiny omnibus; th,e
a pair drew a char ict, and hat .yaSs can
non IVES dragged By q single ola
SEVERAL vARrsrrxa
There are several varieties Of fsss but
they are so much alike that their differences
are interesting only 20 scientific peopiA The
cat fea will do as well es any 20 show us ths
process of breeding. During the spring and
summer months she simply drops her eggs
into the fur Of the cat; but In the autumn
and Writer she gines each firmly upon q hair
These eggs arc 80 small rs to be barely vis-
lilo TO the naked eye, but under the micro
scope they are very beautiful, looking Ike
the loveiiest pearls, aud are perfectly trans
lucent. The fee depo@its nearly 300 a. q
time, running about and dropping them hero
and share. They soon hatch into small,
white, footlsss wernas. In from ere TO two
weeks they SO into cocoon Nothing can be
pretttar toan tbs cocoon. ! wish could
show it to yeu, but viii try to describe IL.
IL Is Like flask % clesr glaas, tiiged at tho
edges with Pearly tints, and dotted over with
gold. The Etalc sl-,por within hes in o
circle, Is rose eoloreai and looks bike the deli
cato petal OF e flower. In about six weeks he
reaches maturity. At flrst ha is not larger
than riito. buo wien we'll fed srows quiz lily
In size aud strength
Flsas are quarreisofue. sid great nghterzl
When s.Ters! are confi1ed In glazs they
vii stand ON their hind b>et, striking ut their
With the oths<s, and roll over and
over each other. Iosang legs ond antczsras, and
at last giving UP their lives IN tie fight
There is e record Of a flea which lived ten
days after such an encounter with no an
.erlra, thres plates Of ms side broken In. ono
eye gcno, and with Only feur legs, and thssss
cut OF 10 toe drst jaartsL
Fleas ara supposed 30 fsa! n great autirathy
10 wor7nsood and otag bttter herts; and IN
England the countyy pcopis have q habit Of
placing the~s about their cottages for Ito
purpose Of banisaing ERE lively little vssts.---
S. L. Cisyss L. The Swiss Ceoxx