The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-10-19
THE POWERFUL FLEA
ITS REMARKABLE STRENGTH AND
FERocIous APPETITE.
Thfs Tiny Pest Figures In Ancient
Legend, Song and story-Attempt.
which Have Deen Made to Tame
Thfs Samson Of the U~iverse,


which Have Deen Made TO Tame
Thfs Samson Of the U.iverse.
While good old st. Dominic was seat
ed In his cell, calm and passlonless.
pondering upon the vices, the miserles
OF the world. lieu was sent to tor
ment him. and these pestiferous little
nuisances have been with us ever since.
to torment saint and sinner alike.
The flea is characterized by the en-
tire absence OF wings, by having the
body compressed, the legs long and
stout, the coNea remarkably developed,
giving great leaping power. The mouth
parts are well developed and adapted
stage feeding upon the blood Of NAM
mails or birds. In u word, Mr.. Flea
belongs to the fourth order of insects.
suctorea. composing the single genus
pulex linnaeus. The fiea Is clothed in
armor quite as indestructible as that
of n knight of old.
Among the several species OF fleas
which have received the attention of
the governments entomologists are the
nuihhh JlSBtI, VI tht hth' opoo-
sum. house. bird. rat and mouse dog,
cat. squirrel. spermophile, rabbit, mole,
pocket gopher sand and number Of
others. or these II is difficult to de-
termine which gives the greater an
noyance to humans. All are bad and
many worse-tormentors Of the most
pronounced type.
And yet these jumping, biting, tic
king pirates have figured in song and
story. Many an old German legend,
Bavarian and Swedish story and many
an old French song have had the flea
for their hero. and so it must be that
the flea has its place. Ancient mythol-
0gy relates that Orion was a giant,
hunting wild beasts and, like them,
very naturally coarse and unrefined.
Earth, disgusted. killed him by the
sting Of the scorpion. Pan became en-
amored Of his sister, and Diana, to res
cue her, turned her into a flea. The
nea has been embalmed in classic lore.
II was considered among the gods as
becoming enough to serve as meta
morphose In extremities.
II ieas could be tanned they would be
prpAtable, but according to entomolo-
gibts fieas are tanned about as much
as q rattlesnake. Mouffet tells Of
mechanic named Marks who made a
gold chain as long as his finger with
lock and key which flea dragged
after him. and there was a golden
chariot which he drew likewise. Bing-
ley mentions that Mr.. Boverick,
London matchmaker, exhibited an
ivory chaise with four wheels. the fig
ure Of a man sitting on the box, all
drawn by flea. The same man after
ward constructed n landau with fg-
ures Of six horses hitched to 1t,
coachman on the box. a dog between
his legs, four persons inside. two foot
men behind and a position on the
fore horse, all Of which were drawn
By single iea.
One 10 at loss which to admire
most, the ingenuity and patience of
the man or the strength of the fiea
Latrslle tells Of a flea which dragged
q silver cannon twenty-four times its
own weight and manifested no alarm
when 1t was charged with powder and
hred on. Rene mentions that In 1880
he saw at fair In England three fieas
drawing carriage In the form Of an
omnibus. another pair drew a carriage
and a single flea a brass cannon. The
only way to subdue nsa 10 to starve
him and attach a small wsisht to his