The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1888-07-27
Ghe Demorraf- Star
A Wonderful Creature.


microscope. 1t seems to be clOlll
ed III a sort OF arm0r formed o
brown, overlapping plates that are
30 exceedingly tough as to be al
most understandable. It's head Ii
small and thin, and has "A single ely,
upon each side. This eye is black
and the rays of light scIntillate
within it like sparks Of fire. Puget
managed to look through one oi
these eyes, and he found that il
diminished objects i'll size while il
multiplied them in num6er-a
man appearing like an army of fai'
ries, and The fame OF a candle be-
coming a thousand tiny stars.
From the shape of Its head, and for
other reasons, the flea in supposed
10 use only one eye at a time. The
offensive weapon Of the flea is com
posed of two palpi or teelers, two
piercers and a tongue. When it
feeds it stands erect, thrusting this
sucker into the flesh ; and 1t will
eat without intermiSsion until dis
turbed, for 1t voIds as fast as ii
swallows its food. 1t il interesting
to put several in a glass and giving
them a piece Of raw meat, to see
them all standing on their hind
legs 10 suck up its juices.
Their manner OF breathing is still
undetermined, but it is thought
most probable that they receive air
into their bodies through small
holes at the end Of the palpl.
The legs OF a flea are marvels of
strength and elasticity. They are
Joined to the body by long tendons
that act like wire springs. In
making its leap, which, it Is said
can cover 200 times its own
length, the flea draws the legs up
close to the body and then throws
them out with great force ; but The
impulse proceeds from the first
JOINT alone, the others only in
creasing it by their stretch while
the leap is being made
Fleas are possessed OF great
strength. Mouffet tells Of a me
chanic who made a gold chain as
long as his finger that a flea drag
ged after him, and a gold chariot
which he drew also. BiEgley writes
of a matchmaker IN The Strand who
had an ivory iOur-wheeled ChaiSe
with a coachman on its box drawn
by a flea. The same man aflerward
made a carriage with six horses, a
coachman, four persons inside, two
behind, and a position on
one OF the horses, all oil which was
by a single flea. Latriella
mentions a flea which dragged a
cannon of twenty-fOur times
Its weight, mounted on wheels,
and showed no fear when it was
charged with gunpowder and fired
off. Rene says that he saw three
fleas drawing tiny omnibus J.; that
a pair drew a chariot and that a
brass cannon was dragged by a
one.
There are several varieties Of feas,
but they are so much alike hat
their differences are interesting on
ly TO scientific people. The cat flea
will do as well as any to show us
the process OF breeding. During
the spring and summer months
she simply drops her eggs into the
Of The cat; but in the autumn
and winter she Clues each firmly
upon a hair. These eggs are so
small as to be barely visible to The
naked eye, but under the micro
scope they are beautiful, looking
like the lovllest pearls, and are
perfectly translucent. The flea
deposits nearly 200at a time, run
ming about and drOppingthem here
and there. They soon hatch into
small white foOtless worms. In
from one to two weeks they go into
cocoon. Nothing can be prettier
Than this cocoon. | wish / could
show it to you, but will try TO de-
it. 1t Is like a flash Of clear
glass tlnged at the edges with pear
ly tints, ana dotted over with gold.
The little sleeper within lies in a
is rose-colOred and looks like
the delicate petal Of a flower. In
about 6 weeks he reaches maturity.
At first he is not largerthan a mite,
but when well feed grows quickly
in size and strength.
Fleas are quarrelsome and great
lighters. When several are con.
fined in a glass they will stand on
their hind legs, striking at their OPP
ponents with the others, and roll
and over each other, using
and antenna, and at last Civ
ing up their lie in The fight. There
IS n record OF a flea which lived ten
lays after such an encounter with I
10 sntenne, three plates of his side
broken, one eye gone and with only ,
our legs, and these cut off TO the
first joints. ,
Fleas are supposed to feel a
great antipathy 10 NORWOOD and
other bitter herbs, and in England
The country people have a habit of
these about their cottages
Tor the purpose OF banishing The
little pests.