The Dickinson press., 1888-09-08
THE WONDERFUL FLEA.
HIS EYES MULTIPLY OBJECTS A
THOUSAND TIMES.

Appearance Under the Microscope-Man-
ncr Of breathing Not Known-The Flea's
Great straightforward varicties-Great
Fishters-lsapidity of Multiplication.
Let us put our flea under the microscope.
1t seems to be clothed in a sort of armor
formed of brown, overlapping plates that
are SO exceedingly tough as to be almost ill.,
dcstructiblc. Its head is small and very
thin, and it has a single eye upon each side.
This eye is black, and the rays of light scin-
tillatc within it like sparks of fire. Puget
managed to look through one of these eyes,
ard he found that it diminished objects in
size, while it multiplied them in numbers-a
man appearing like an army of fairies. and
the flame of n candle becoming a thousand
tiny stars. From the shape of its head, and
for other reasons, the flea is supposed to use
only one eye at a time. The offensive weapon
of the fleass composed of two palpi, or feel
ers, two piercers and a tongue. When it
feeds it stands erect, thrusting this sucker
into the flesh, and it will eat without inter-
mission until disturbed, for it voids as fast as
it swallows its food. 1t is interesting to put
several in a glass, and, giving them q piece
of raw meat, see them all standing on their
hind legs to suck up its juices.
MANNER OF BREATHING.
Their manner of breathing is still undeter-
mined, but it is thought most probable that
they receive air into their bodies through
small holes at tho end of the palpi.
The legs of a flea arc 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 two hundred times its own length, the
flea draws the leg up close to the body and
then throws it out with great force; but the
impulse proceeds from the first joint alone,
tho others only increasing it by their stretch
while the leap is being made.
Fleas are possessed of great strength.
Mouffct tells of n mechanic who made q
gold chain, as long as his finger, that n flea
dragged after him, and a golden chariot,
which he drew also. Bingley writes of a
matchmaker in tho Strand who had an
ivory four wheeled chaise, with n coach
man on its box, drawn by n flea. The
same man afterwards made a carriage with
six horses, n coachman, four persons inside,
two foot7nen behind M q position on one of
the horses, all of which was drawn by u sin
gle flea. Latriella mentions a flea which
dragged n silver cannon of twenty-four
times its w weight, mounted on wheels,
and showed no fear when it was charged with
gunpowder and fired off. Rene says that he
saw three f1cas drawing a tiny omnibus; that
a pair drew a chariot, and that a brass can
non was dragged by a single one.
EvERA
There are several varieties of feas, but
they are SO much alike that their differences
arc interesting only to scientific people. Tho
cat flea will do as well as any to show us the
process of breeding. During the spring and
mmcr months she simply drops her eggs
into the fur of the cat; but in the autumn
and winter she CLUES each firmly upon u hair.
These eggs are so small as to DO barely Wis
iblc to the naked eye, but under the micro
scope they arc very beautiful, looking like
the ~lovcl,est pearls, md arc perfectly trans
lucent. Tho flea deposits nearly 200 at n
time, running about and dropping them hero
and there. They soon hatch into small,
white, ~footless worms. In from enc to w
weeks they go into cocoon. Nothing can be
prcttier than this cocoon. l wish l could
show it to you, but will try to describe it.
1t is like Il flask of clear glass, tinged ut tho
edges with pcarly tints, and dotted over with
gold. The littlo sleeper within lies in a
circle, is rose colored and looks like the deli
cate petal of Il flower. In about six weeks ho
reaches maturity. At first he is not larger.
than q mite, but when we'll fed grows quickly
in size and strength.
Flcas are quarrelsonc, and great fighters.
When several are confined in Il glass they
will stand OH their hind legs, striking at their
opponents with the others, and roll over and
over each other, losing legs and antennn, ard
at last giving up their lives in the fight.
There is a record of n flea which lived ten
days after such an encounter with no an-
tennn, three plates of his side broken i'll. one
eye gone, and with only four legs, and these
cut off to the first joints.
Flcas are supposed to feel great antipathy
to NORWOOD and other bitter herbs; and in
England the country people nave u habit of
placing these about their cottages for the
purpose Of banishing the lively little pests
S. l.. Ciayes i'll The Swiss Cross.