The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-08
soMrTnrrc Apour rLrAs.


 A nes is not by any means large animal and it is but fair to say that they would be insignificant were 1t not for certain peculiarities and attributes they possess which is wanting in most other members of the insect family. As jumper he lays all over kan garoo or Q jack-rabbit In fact, if kangaroo could jump as far in pro- portion to his heft as . flea can. we should say. at . rough estimate. that he could leap Acfoss the Gulf of Mex leo. Or Texas. It's great thing to be able to jump so far. and many man sees times when, he wishes he had ths nea's faculty for being some where else. when a flea decides that he has remained in one place long enough he Iimbers up and lands in what would be the next country if 1t were a man. It's quite an accomplish ment to be a first class jumper, and to know when to hike out for another lo- cality.
 Another thing about a flea Is what we might call his unexpectedness. because he Is generally where you are not ex- pecting him and Is never where you do expect him. When you think you have him located beyond doubt, and when you believe there Is no escape for him. you fire away with your fist and the flea gets off to another place and laughs at you. A man who can hit flea at the first trial should be promoted to the head Of the marksmen class. He doesn't exist. however. because no man has yet been invented who could do it.. Fisas are always somewhere else when you hit them.
 They are always present at feeding time, however. Nobody ever has to ring dinner bell to cali a flea to his meals. In fact, we think 1t may be set down as a safe mathematical proposi- tion that flea is born hungry and that his appetite grows as long as he lives We don't remember to have ever seen one when he was not hungry, nor have we ever heard of case of indigestion among them. They don't need any breakfast foods. digestion pills. or any thing to improve their appetites. They are always on the eat.
 All this issonly preliminary to what we started to write about. and that is the price paid by one of the Roths- childs for a specimen of what he calls the Arctic flea. Now, the only reason that most of us could have for want ing to buy a flea would be to kill him as suddenly as possible. but that was not the idea of this millionaire member of a rich family. He learned that mo- body had ever possessed an Arctic flea, and like many other rich men he want ed what no one else had.
 In consequence of this ambition Mir. Rothschild had a standing offer of s25,- 900 for a genuine specimen of pulex from the land of eternal winter. We presume he will require pedigree in proper shape, else some sharp trader may put off common dog-biter on him for the genuine article. It must be re- membered that this particular brand of flea Is very scarce and there is no re- cord that one of them has eyer been captured. That is why the million airs Is willing te pay such price. He wants something that ue one else ever owned and is ready to pay the price. If any man has a genuine Arctic flea he knows where to find a buyer.
 MT. Rothschild's ambition to possess rare specimens has been partially grat- flied by his having lately come Into possession of what is known as an Egyptian rat flea, which is also rare fowl. We don't know what he paid for 1t, but he Is said to be so proud of it that he is going to name It after one of his best friends. We hope the friend feels duly honored, and that the owner of the little pet will enjoy him self in the possession of this substitute for the real article for which he is pining.
 That's all we have to say about fieas