Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-26
THE WICKED FLEA
Has Place in History and
Literature.
A PROFESSORS VIEWS
INVESTIGATIONS BY DEPART
MENT OF AGRICULTURE.
Many Known Varieties Of the Insect
The Jigger and Other Species
Wide Distribution.

The Jigger and Other Species
Wide Distribution.
While good old st. Dominic was seated In
his CELL calm and passionless. pondering
upon the vices, the Iniseries of the world. a
flea was sent to torment him, and these
pestiferous little nuisances have been with
US ever SINCE to torment saint and sinner
alike.
According to Prof. Chittenden, assistant
entomologist, Department Of Agriculture,
there are many species Of fieas to try the
patience Of men and women, to say nothing
Of the animal kingdom. According to OBJ
servations of the flea an entire generation
Of the piratfcal jumpers may develop In q
little more than fortnight; hence. q
housekeeper, closing her house for few
weeks in summer. need not be surprised to
find the establishment overrun with leas
when she opens It again. The little tor
mentors come and go In droves, and this
summer appears to be the worst In years
for them.
Studies Of specimens sent the Agricultu-
raj Department develops the fact that the
species which commonly overrunS houses
In damp summers in our eastern cities es-
man flea. but the common cosmopolitan
flea of the dog and cat There is wide
spread ignorance as to the Transformations
Of this insect. and even the entomologist Is
puzzled where to consult good figures OF
the different stages and a detailed account
of the life history. The flea Is character
lied by the entire absence Of wings. by
having the body composed, the legs long
and stout. the cOxea remarkably developed,
giving great leaping power. The mouth
parts are well developed and adapted for
suction. all the species IN the adult stage
feeding upon the blood of mammals or
birds. In word. Mr.. Flea belongs to the
fourth order of insects, suctorea. compos-
ing the single genus pulex Hnnaeus. The
hea is clothed in armor. quite as indestruc-
t1ble as that of a knight of old.
The Human digger.
Among the several species of fieas which
have received the attention of the govern
ment's entomolOgists are the human j:gger,
or Clique, the hen, opossum, house. bird,
rat and mouse, dog, cat. squirrel. spermo-
phile, rabbit, mole, pocket gopher, sand,
and a number of others. OF these, it is
difficult to determine which give the greater
annoyance to humans; all are bad and
many worse-tOrmentors Of the most pro-
nounced type. And yet these jumping, Bit
Ing. tickling pirates have figured in song
and story. Many an old German legend
Bavarian and Swedish story. and many an
hero. and so it must be that the flea has
it's place. Ancient mythology relates that
Orion was giant hunting wild beasts, and,
like them, very naturally coarse and unre-
fined. Earth, disguised, killed him by the
sting of the scorpion. Pan became enam-
ored Of his sister, and Diana, to rescue her.
turned her into a flea, land all that now
remains of her." adds Miss Catherine. lis
the fear. the cunning and the name.' The
flea has been embalmed in classic lore; it
was considered among the gods as becOm-
ing enough to serve a metamorphose in
extremities. In HindOostan. where the be-
lief in the metapsychosis still exist-where-
ever, In fact, lfnger In the east legends OF
the philosophical dOgmas of PythagoraS-
are to be found hospitals where beggars are
paid stipulated price to pass the night,
that the vermin. such as feas, bugs. etc.,
may be fed at the expense of their life
blood Imagine. If you can. such night.
with few thousand rampant beaks stuck
into your anatomy. The f1ea-fnfected dis
tricts of New York, New Jersey, Texas and
louisiana. OF which much has been written.
are nothing compared to this.
;. II feaS could be tanned they would be
profitable; but according to entomologists,
feas are tanned about as much rat
tlesnake. Moufet tells of a mechanic
named Marks. who made gold chain as
long as his finger, with lock and key. which
a flea dragged after him, and there was
a golden chariot which he drew ike
wise. Bingley mentions that a Mr.. Bower
fok, a matchmaker on the Strand. exhibited
an. ivory chaise with four wheels, the figure
OF a man sitting on the box, all drawn by
a flea. The same man afterward cOnStruc-
ted landau with figures of six horses
hitched to it, coachman on the box,
dog between his legs, four person inside
two footmen behind, and a pOstillion on
the fore horse. all Of which were drawn
by single flea. One Is at loss which
to admire most. the ingenuity and patience
of the man or the strength of the flea.
Latrelle tells of a flea which dragged a
silver cannon twenty four times it's own
weight, and manifested no alarm when 1t
was charged with powder and fired Off
Rene mentions that in 1890 he saw at a fair
in Charlton, in Kent. three fieas drawing
a carriage in the form of an omnibus
another pair drew carriage, and a single
subdue flea is to starve him and attach
a small weight to his hind leg so that he
cannot jump.
Are Great Pugilists.
That fleas are great ~pugIIsts there can
be no doubt, as 1t has been repeatedly
shown that they will fight to the death, and
will land such blows as would make some
Of our pugilists blush. If dozen or more
ffeas are put in a glass Jar for a day or
two you will see the mangled remains Of
the dead and wounded as the result Of
close cOmpaniOnship- They will stand on
their hind legs and buffet their opponents
with the others: they roll and toss and
tumble until 1t Is painful to see the wrecks
left behind After one Of these battles in
a glass jar, one champion lived ten days
with no antenae. one eye gone. three plates
in the side mashed in, and only the first
joints of four legs to go upon. But the
flea. even In this wrecked condition. was
game to the last, and died breathing de-
ffance, the rays of Hight scintillating from
his black eyes with the brilIiancy Of a
biacksmiths forge IN fun blast on a dark
night. His power Is In his legs. and he
Is the most accomplished Of vaulters: no
position appears too difficult for him to
assume; attitude in every variety is IA
miliar to him; he leaps upward. sideways
forward, backward, and takes dozen SOM
ersaults while you are wondering where he
will light. A good healthy flea. 1T Is es-
timated, can leap two hundred times the
length of his body. When about to leap OF
jump. the legs are drawn up to the body
as close as possible and then shot out
The flea comes down very nearly the spot
from where the leap was taken. Every
descent is near to the center OF this you
may convince yourselw by placing a flea in
a drOD of red ink a niece Of white naner