Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1904-11-03
fHE POWERFUL FLEA
ITS REMARKABLE STRENGTH AND
FEROCIoUS APPETITE.
This Tiny Pest Figures I'm Ancient
Legend, Song and Story-Attempts
which Have Been Made to Tame
This Samson of the Universe.

This Tiny Pest Figures I'm Ancient
which Have Been Made to Tame
This samson of the Universe.
While i57,od old st. Dominic was seat
ed in his cell. calm and passionless.
pondering upon the vices, the miseries
of the world, flea was sent to tor
ment him, and these pestiferous little,
nuisances havesbeen 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 coxea remarkably developed,
giving great leaping power. The mouth
parts are we'll developed and adapted
for suction, all the species in the adult
stage feeding upon the blood of MANI
mails or birdG In q word, Mr.. Flea
belongs to the fourth order of insects.
suctorea, composing the single genus
pulex linnaeus. The flea is clothed in
armor quite as indestructible as that
of a knight Of old.
Among the several species Of fieas
which have received the attention of
the governments entomologists are the
human jigger, or clique; the hen, opos-
sum, house, bird, rat And mouse dog,
cat, squirrel, spermophile, rabbit, mole,
pocket gopher, sand and number of
others. or these it 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-
ogy 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
flea has been embalmed in classic lore
1t was considered among the gods as
becoming enough to serve as meta
morphose in extremities.
If fieas could be tanned they would be
profitable, but according to entomolo-
gists fieas are tanned about as much
as rattlesnake. Mouffet tells of a
mechanic named Marks who made a
gold chain as long as his finger with
lock and key which a flea dragged
after him, and there was golden
chariot which he drew likewise. Bing-
ley mentions that a Mr.. Boverick, a
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 q landau with 1g-
ures of six horses hitched to 1t, a
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 q 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 q flea which dragged
a silver cannon twenty-four times its
own weight and manifested no alarm
when it was charged with powder and
fred Off Rene mentions that in 1880
he saw at fair In England three feas
drawing a carriage in the form of an
omnibus, another pair drew a carriage
and single flea a brass cannon. The
only way TO subdue flea is to starve
him and attach a small weight to his
hind leg SO that he cannot jump.
That fieas are great pugilists there
can be no doubt, as 1t has been repeat
edly shown that they will fight to the
death and will land such blows as
would make some Of our pugilists
blush. II a dozen or more fleas are put
in q 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 oppo-
nents 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 glass Jar one
champion lived ten days, with no an
tennae. one eye gone, three plates in
the side smashed In and only the first
joints of four legs to go upon.
But the flea even in this wretched
condition was game to the last and
died breathing defiance, the rays Of
light scintillating from his black eyes
with the brilliancy of a blacksmith )
forge in full blast on n 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
familiar to him. He leaps upward,
sideways, forward, backward and
takes n dozen somersaults while you
are wondering where he will light. A
good healthy flea, 1t is estimated, can
leap 200 times the length of his body.
When about to leap or jump the legs
are drawn up to the body as close as
possible and then shot out. The flea
comes down very near the spot from
where the leap was taken. Every de-
scent is nearer to the center. or this
you may convince yourself by placing
a flea in a drop of red ink on piece
Of white paper and letting him jump.
The flea Is always hungry, his appe-
tite is never satisfied. and he will ex-
ercise his sucker just as long as he Is
permitted without interruption. With
him there is a continuous perform
ance" so far as gratifying his appetite
is concerned. There is no creeping.
crawling or flying insect which can ap-
proach the flea in strength, size consid-
cred. He is beyond question the Sam
son Of the univcrse.-Washingt Star
odd.
Divorces are multiplying"
That's odd. | thought that their