The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-18
TIE WONDERFUL FLEA
HIS EYES Multiply OBJECTS a
THOUSAND TIMES.

appearance Under the " crc>copo Nan.
ncr Of breathing Not known ThsII...
Great stren.t,, several Nar,eiie, Great
Fighters -Hapidity of NultipIicat.1a.
Let us put oar flea under d.. ........o..
IL seems 70 Boz clothed iu 81 s.lf ~ al..-
formed OF brown. overaDpu. laie. Tint
are 50 exceedingly tough ns Orb %. almost .a.
deStructible. It's head j, sml aaI y.r.
thin. and IL has single csc upon each s.l.
This eye IS black. ana the rays vi l-lt ,.u.
tilate within 20 like SHARKS VI Gro p.t
managed 70 look through ono OF tlosae....
and he found that it diminished obe..s b..
size while it multiplied them iu umar.-t
man appearing Ike an army Of fairies. ,d
the 1amo Of "a candle becoming th0L,lrI
tiny stars From tho shape OF It's head. ant
for other reasons, the 0ol is supposed % ".
only Oh, cye at n tine the offensive weapon
OF the flea is c0mp0seI Of tH0 RALPH. o. feel
ers, two p.orccr and a tOn-ue When h.
feeds % stands erect. thrustns this sucker
into the flesh. and il will eat without inter-
mission until disturbed. for il yol5 O.. fls..3
it swallows rs food. rs ute.e,t,A., to pr.
several IN glass. aud, giving thom "a piece
Of raw meat. SEQ them all standing ou tdl.r
hind l,g5 % sucs up 10; juices
MANNER or BREATHING.
Their manner of breathing {, still mietsr
mined. but It Is thought mos, probable ia4.
they receive air into their bodies Through
small holes at the end OF the p9lpL
The legs Of a lea are mcrscls o. strength
and elasticity Tkoy are joined tot.e0.Ir
by long toudons that act like ulre SPRING.
In making Us leap which, It Is said. clu
cover two hundred times its ovu 'ol..l. lhs
lea draws the lcs up close % tic O.IyonI
then throws j. ont with great llrce. batthl
impulse proceeds from the lAt innt alone.
the others only increasing 10 by Then .'....l
whi.o the leap is being made
Fleas are possessed Of great ,uHI
Moufot tells of a mechanic who mia. a
gold chain. as long a bis finger, thar l..
dragged after hun, and golden .
which be drew also Bneley writes ot a
matchmaker in the Strand VINO ml aa
ivory tour wheeled chac, with a coach.
man on its box. drawn by la I'D.
same man afterwards made q car.l.o a.-u
SIX horses, a coacnmau. four persons lal.
two footmen behind and q ro.tl1l ologe no
the horses. all ~ which Wd, .lam .y q s.-
elc ilcl. Lltrlcla mentions Gen which
dragged a silver cannon ., tF.utyfat
times is own weight, mounted ol wheels
and showed no fear when 10 "as char w'.
gdnpowdcr and fired OH Rome lss ast BIB
saw three ncls drawing tiny Om s ,hat
pair drew a chariot, and tlat '.l., l.-
non was dragged by d single 1na
SEVERAL yaaHuEs.
There .ro several y4r.tll5 of h1ls. but
they ale 30 much alike that their d.i,rlnos
age Iuterestiug only O. sc..utilep people The
eat ilea VIII do as well rs any % show ui tho
process, Of breeding Daring the spring and
sumner months suc simply drois Lcr eggs
INTO the fur of tho ctt. uut m tho autumn
and winter She CLUES each firmly upon a ham
These eg-s are SD small as tp d. barely wise
iOlo 10 the naked eye but under tho micro
scope they are very beautiful, looking like
the loyehest pearls, and are perfectly trans
lucent The dee deposits nearly 30J no
time. running about and dropping them here
and there They soon batch into snail.
white, footless worms. In from oue q tyO
weeks they 60 into cocoon Nothing can DO
prett.cr than this cocoon. / wish could
Ii i, like a flask Of clear glass, tnged 81 tho
edge, with pearly tints ana dotted over with
gold Tho little sleeper wItAn lies m q
circle. is r0so c0lOred and looks ike the dell.
cato petal OF flower. In about Six weeks hs
reache, maturity At first be u not larger
than a mite. bat "hea we'll fed grove quickly
40 .iza and strength.
Fleas are quarre,some, and great dgLter
When several are confined Ia glass they
will stand on their hind legs str.kingat Their
with the others. and roll over and
over each other, losing legs ndantennn, and
at last giving up their lives IN the fight.
There is a record Of lea which lived ten
days after such an encounter with 40 an-
tennn three plates az his side broken iu. one
eyc gone, and with only four lesi, and these
cut Off t. the frs, joints.
Fleas arc supposed to teela great attlq atny
to WorlnwOoi and other bitter herbs, and "a
England the country people have habit of
placing these about their cottages for the
purpose Of banishing the lively little pests.
= I Tlove, IN The Swiss Gross