HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



99 



the fat ones being more inclined to tickle and play ; 

 and these are not the least plague, especially when 

 in greater numbers, since they molest men that are 

 sleeping, and trouble wearied and sick persons, from 

 whom they escape by skipping ; for as soon as they 

 find they are arraigned to die, and feel the finger 

 coming, on a sudden they are gone, and leap here 

 and there, and so escape the danger ; but so soon as 

 day breaks they forsake the bed. They then creep 

 into the rough blankets or hide themselves in rushes 

 and dust, lying in ambush for pigeons, hens, and 

 other birds ; also for men and dogs, moles and mice, 

 and vex such as pass by." 



There is some speculation, without truth, in the 

 latter part of this paragraph; for the flea that annoys 

 mankind is quite distinct from the bird flea, those 

 of cats and dogs, moles and mice, and others. 

 Whether true or false we cannot say, but it has 

 been affirmed that asses are never troubled with 

 fleas, and that it is consequent upon our Saviour 

 riding upon one of these animals. 



The Cat Elea {Pulex felis) has already been 

 noticed by Mr. Mclntire in an early volume of this 

 journal. 



Fig. 56. Dog Flea [Pulex cants), male. 



The Dog Flea {Pulex canis) is also different from 

 both. Whether it is the same that occurs on the 

 fox, we are unable to say. Mouffet alludes to this 

 last in the following manner :— " The fox gathers 

 some handfuls of wool from thorns and hedges, and 

 wrapping it up, he holds it fast in his mouth, then 

 goes by degrees into a cold river, and dipping him- 

 self close by little and little, when he finds that all 

 the fleas are crept so high as his head for fear of 

 drowning, and so for shelter crept into the wool, 

 he barks and spits out the wool full of fleas, and so 

 very froliquely being delivered from their molesta- 

 tions, he swims to land." We have always been 

 ready to accord to the fox a considerable amount of 



cunning, but not quite so much as our author is 

 inclined to do. 



The little Mole Flea {Pulex talpce) is an interesting 

 and not at all uncommon species. Some say that it 

 is blind, and so it was stated of the mole, until the 

 contrary was proved. 



Fig. 57. Mole Flea {Pulex talpce), male. 



Three species of flea are found on bats. One is 

 called Pulex elongata, another the Three-banded 

 Flea {Pulex trifasciatus), and the third is Pulex 

 respertiliouis. For further particulars of these we 

 must refer our readers to Curtis's " British Ento- 

 mology." 



Fig. 5S. Bat Flea {Pulex vespertilionis), male. 



The Squirrel Flea {Pulex sciurorum) is not un- 

 common in this country; but whether the Pulex 

 mortis has been found on the weasel or stoat/.we 

 cannot say. 



The rat has two kinds of fleas, that is, the banded 

 Eat Flea {Pulex fasciatus), aud the common;Rat 



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