Evening star., 1936-08-17
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES e. TRACEWELL.

Three wild rabbits, flibbling the leaves
of petunia plants, gave an unusual and
fetching touch to the garden.
Some people prefer to call these crea-
lures ruisances. but really they are very
charming additions to a back yard
Not especially timid, they are full OF
spirits, and probably full OF fleas, but
doggy neighborhoods are filled with them
anyway.
The person whom fleas will not bite
seldom enters into the woes of those
whom they not only will but do bite.
The term flea bitten" refers to the old
European, or human flea, whereas Amer
ica's biting flea is the now famous dog
and cat flea.
You will often hear it said, in the most
scornful accents, that f1eas will mot
leave dog or cat" to get on human
being
Such speakers, OF course, are very
much mistaken. The particular insect
which infests these pet animals loves
nothing so well, not even the original
hosts, as human with a tender skin.
1t will leave a four footed animal any
day for a two-footed one with the par
ticular type of skin 1t loves.
OllCC II IAPo away ACoNAlS
red places which itch furiously for sew
eral days thereafter, to say nothing of
the danger of parasitic infections which
1t carries.
The flea problem is an annual one with
these tender skinned people. who can
pick up the insects on the lawn, even,
or elsewhere.
A curious fact about these fieas is
that they are very wary about showing
themselves on those persons they bite
the worst.
Some persons are veritable "flea traps"
who or which seem to attract the f1eas
without squirting them on to feasting.
Such persons will find 20 or more in
their legs, after walking through flea
infested area, whereas those whom the
fleas really make miserable may never
catch sight of them at all, despite the
most careful watching.
Flea eggs, under a good magnifying
glass, are really very beautiful, resem-
bling pearls, so perfect are they, so trans
lucent, shimmering with all the secrets
of nature.
These eggs are not Matched on the
animal altogether. but large quantities
drop out of its fur, or are scratched of.
These drop to the ground. and hatch
out anywhere, but particularly in warm
grass and on wool rugs. Thus the old
Washington custom of storing the rugs
for the Summer is seen to have a good
reason behind it.
Wild rabbits il the garden may or
may not contribute materially to the
miseries OF the susceptible, but at any
rate they give picturesque touch to
the landscape.
The trio in the yard the other eve
ming reminded one strongly of the old
tale about the big bear and middle size
bear and the little bear.
These rabbits were of three sizes,
almost in steps.
All were eating grass and flower leaves
and stems. for rabbits are true herbal
lists, and devote themselves to the herbs,
or nom woody stems and their leaves.
Maybe one reason why these rodents
can run so swiftly is that they are full
of yitamins secured from the unproc-
essed and vital foods, fresh from the
hands of nature, which they eat con-
tinuously.
While rabbits, in the main, are prob
ably no more healthy than other animals.
they do possess most alarming powers
when 1t comes to leaping.
In fair flight no dog or cat can keep