Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1888-08-09
NO. 80.
THE WONDERFUL FLEA.
Wonderful streagth and Intelligence sf
the Lively Little Pests

Wonderful str-axth Nsd Intelligence 81
the Lively Little Pests-
Let me put our flea under the
microscope. II seems to he clothed In
a sort OF armor formed Of brown. over
tapping plates that are so exceedingly
tough a. To be almost indestructiblc.
It, head Is small and very thin, and IL
has a single eye upon each side. This
eye Is black and the rays OF light scin-
tillate within II like sparks OF fire.
Puget managed to look through one OF
these seyes, and he found that II
diminished objects in size while II
multiplied them in number. a man ap-
pearing like an army Of fairies and tho
flame OF a candle becoming n thousand
tiny stars From the shape OF Its head
and for other reasons. the flea Is sup
posed to use only one eye at time.
The offensive weapon Of the fca Is
composed Of two palpi. or feclers.
two piercers and n tongue. When IL
feeds il stands erect, thrusting this
sucker into the flesh. and IL will eat
without intermi.sion until disturbed.
for II voids As fast rs IL swallows its
food. II Is interesting to put several
in glass. and giving them n piece OF
raw meat, see them all standing on
their bind legs to suck up its juice.
Their manner OF breathing il still
undetermined. but it Is thought most
probable that they receive air into
their bodies through small holes at the
end of the palpi
The legs of a flea are marvels OF
strength and elasticity. They are
joined to the body by long tcndons
that act like wire springs. In making
its leap. which. IL is said. can cover
two hundred times its own length. tho
flea draws the leg up close to the body
and then throws it out with great
force; but the impulse proceeds from
tho first joint alone. the others only
increasing 1t by their stretch while the
leap is being made.
Fleas are possessed Of great strength.
Mouffet tells OF mechanic who made n
gold chain. rs long as his finger. that II
flea dragged after him. and a golden
chariot which he drew also. Pingley
who had an ivory four-wheeled chaise.
with II coachman on its box, drawn by
a fea- The same man afterward made
a carriage with six horses, a coach
man, four persons inside. two footmcu
behind, and a position ON one OF the
horses. all of which was drawn by a
single flea. LatrieIla mentions a flea
which dragged a silver cannon Of
twenty-four times its own weight.
mounted on wheels. and showed no
fear when il was charged with gum
powder and fired of Rene says that
he saw three feas drawing n tiny omni-
bus; that pair drew chariot. and
that brass cannon was dragged by
single one.
There are several varieties of heas,
but they are 50 much alike that their
differences are interesting only To sci
entific people The cat flea will do ~
well a. any to show Us the process Of
breeding During the spring and sum
mer months she simply drops her eggs
into the fur Of the cat; but in the au-
tumn and winter she glues each firmly
upon hair. These eggs are so small
a. To h. barely visible to the naked
eye. but under the microscope they
are very beautiful. looking like the
loveliest pearls and are perfectly trans
lucent. The flea deposits nearly two
hundred at n time. running about and
dropping them here and there. They
soon hatch into small. white. footless
worms. In from one To two weeks
they go into cocoon. | wish I could
show il to you. but will try to describe
IL. 1t Is like "a flask of clear glass,
tinged ut the edges with
pearly tints, and dotted over
with gold. The little sleeper
within lies in a circle. is rosc-colored
and looks like the delicate petal Of
flower. In about six weeks he reaches
maturity. At first he Is not larger
than mite, but when we'll fed grows
quickly in size and strength.
Fleas are quarrelsome. and great
fighters When several are confined
In a glass they will stand on their hind
legs. striking Mt their opponents with
the Others. and roll over and over each
other, losing legs and antenns. and at
last giving up their lives in the fight.
There il a record Of flea which lived
ten days after such an encounter with
no antennR, three plates of his side
broken in. one eye gone. and with only
four legs. and these cut of to the first
joints.
Fleas are supposed to feel great
antipathy to wormwood and other Bit
ter herbs; and in England the country
people have a habit of placing these
about their cottages for the purpose OF
banishing the lively little PESTS.
Z. CiGyes. iH Striss Cross