The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1904-11-04
VOL. XLIX--NO. AS
THE Pow ERFUL FLEA
IT'S REMARKABLE aSTReNGTH AND
FeROClOUS APPETITE.

Which Have Been Made tn Tame
This samson of the InivrrSc.
Will" good old ST. Dominic was seat
cd in his cell. calm and passinnlesS.
ponderin" upon III" vices the miScrirs
OF the world, II flea WAS sent 10 tor
ment him. and these pestiGerous little
nusanccS have been with us ever since.
to torment saint and sinner alike.
The flea is characterized by the ell
tire absence of wings. by havim" the
body compressed the legs long and
HIOut the CONea 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 mann
mails or birds. In Il word, Mr.. Flea
belongs 10 the fourth order OF insects.
Suctorea. composing the single genus
puleN linnaeus. The tiea is clothed in
armor qiiitr as indeSlructible as that
Of a knight of Old.
Among the several species of heas
which have received the attention of
the governments cntomologistS are the
human jigger or clique; the hen. opos-
sum. house. biri. rar and mouse dog,
cat squirrel. Spcrmophile. rabbit. mole,
pockcu gopher. sand and Il number of
others. or these it is difficult to tie
tcrminr which gives the greater an
noyancc to humans. All are bad anu
! many rSe-tormenIors of the most
pronounced type.
And vel these jumping, biting, tic
king pirates have figured i'll song ami
story Many IN old German legend.
Bavaran and Swedish story and many
an old French SONG have had the flea
for their hero. and so it must be that
the tiea has its place. Ancient mythol-
ogy relates that orion was Il giant.
hunting wild beasts and. like them,
very naturally coarse and unrehned.
Earth. Disguised. killed him by the
sting of the scorpion. Pan became en-
amored of his sister. and Diana, 70 res
cue her. turned her into Il flea. The
flea has been emhalmcd in classic lore.
1t was considered among the gods as
becoming enough to serve as j meta
morphoSc in cXlremitieS.
If tleaS could I've tanned they would be
profitable. hut according TO entomolo-
gistS feaS are tanned about aS much
as Il rattleSnakr. Mouffet tells Of q
mechanic named Marks who made Il
gold chain as long It's his finger with
lock and key which Il tiea dragged
after him. and there WAS Il golden
chariot which he drew lillewise. Bing-
ley mentions that Il Mr. Bovcrick. Il
I al.
ivory chii<c with four wheels the liz
ure of Il man sitting OH the box. I'LL
drawn by Il f,e:. The same man after
ward constructed Il landau with fig
ureS of six horses hitched To il. Il
coachman on the box. Il dog between
his legs four persons inside. two foot
men behind and Il position on the
fore horse. all of which were drawn
by Il single llch.
One is at :: loss which TO admire
| most, the ingenuity and patience OF
the man or the strength of the flea.
Latrcllr tells Of flea which dragged
silver cannon lWenty-four times its
own weight and manifested no alarm
when it WAS charged with powder and
fired of. Rene mentions that in 1870
lie SAW ut Il fair i'll England three tleas
drawing Il carriage in the form of an
omnibus another pair drew Il carriage
and Il single lea Il brass cannon. The
only way To SuhGuc Il flea is to starve
him and attach Il small weight to his
hind lee So that he cannot jump.
That tlca> Are great pugilistS there
can be no doubt. as it has been repeat
edly shown that they will fight to the
death and will land such blows rs
would make some of our pugiliStS
blush. II Il dozen or more tlcaS are put
in glass jar for Il 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 it is painful To
see the wrecks left behind. After one
Of these battles in a 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 20 upon.
But The flea even i'll this wretchcd
condition WAS game to the last and
died brrathiu" defiance. the rays OF
light scintillalng from his black eyes
with the hrilliancy of Il blacksmithS
forge i'll full blast on a dark night
His power is i'll his legs. and he is the
most accomplished of vaulterS No
position appears TOO difficult for him
10 assume Attitude in every variety is
sideways, forward. backward and
takes Il dozen SomerSaultS while var
are wondcrin" where he will light. \
good healthy flea. il 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 AZ
possible and then shot ont. The flea
comes down very near the spot from
where the leap WAS taken. Every de.
scent is nearer 10 the center, OF this
you may convince yourself by placing.
a flea in Il drop of red ink on Il piece
OF whit" paper and letting him jump.
The flea is always hungry. his appe-
tite is never satisfied. and he will en-
ercise his sucker just as long aS he is
permitted without interruption. With
him there is continuous performs
ance" SO far as gratifying his appetite
is concerned. There is no creeping.
crawling or lying insect which can APP
proach the flea in strength. size consi,l.
cred. He is beyond question The Saiu>
son Of the universe. Washington Star.
She Was Doing Her Best.
Genuine Scotch cannincSS Shln"$
through this story which the Philadel-
phia Ledger publishes: "A widow om,>
day in spring was seen by the clerk OF
her parish crossing the churchyar,t
with Il watering pot and bundle.
"Ah. Mistress MartaviSh." said the
clerk. WHAT'S yer business wi sic like
gear a> that ware c;lrryin':' "Ah>
Wpci, Mr.. Marlachlan' replied the.