FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



439 



FAMILY l'ULICID.E. 



The Family i*iilicid;v, only includes ileas and the closely related insects, the 

 curious jiggers, which are if possible still more degraded, Tiiese insects have 

 only simjjle eyes (Fig. 1, g), a slim labrum (Fig. 1. a) or upper lip, while the 

 labial palpi, usually absent in dipterous insects, are always present. 



PULEX CANIS. 



As all fleas are much the same, I will only describe ihe dog-fleas, Pulex 

 cauis (Curtis), which is our most common species. This species (Fig. 2) in 

 common with all of tlio genus, is slim, and has a hard crust, hence the rapid 

 transit of these animals, even through the densest fur, and their general ex- 

 emption from hurt. The wings of all fleas are very abortive, and by the aid 

 of the thickened thighs (Fig. 2d) of their posterior legs, they ever remain as 

 champion jumpers. Their antenna? (Fig. 1, h) are three-jointed, and con- 

 cealed in pits, just behind the simple eyes. The joints of the antennae are 

 broad, flat and lobed. The mouth parts are in general like the same in the 

 mosquito, though they have the four-jointed labial palpi (Fig. 1, d) which are 

 wanting in all other diptera. These organs form a firm but slender lance, by 

 aid of which the insect is able to pierce the toughest skin, and through a tube 

 formed by a union of these self-same parts, the blood is forcibly pumped up 

 by a strong, muscular engine, their sucking stomach. 

 The dog-flea (Fig. 2) is so named as it prefers to satiate its blood-thirsty 



appetite from the dog. If dogs are permitted 

 to harbor these annoying pests, the latter will 

 gain admittance to houses, will hide in carpets, 

 mats, etc., and anon, as occasion permits, will 

 slake their thirst with human blood. A single 

 flea may pierce and suck a half-dozen times in 

 quick succession, and so agile are they that it 

 seems to take them hardly as many seconds. 

 ** Biting as they run," they quickly inflict their 

 painful wounds on various parts of the body. The color of the dog-flea is dark 

 chestnut, darker than the human flea, and unlike the latter, it has sharp spines 

 (Fig. 1) projecting from the lower lateral borders of its head, and the posterior 

 edge of the first thoracic ring. The small, oval white eggs are laid on the ani- 

 mal, or in the dust of the kennel. The larvje (Fig. 3) are footless maggots with 

 lateral hairs, and live in dust and dirt where they feed upon the organic matter 

 which these contain. They mature in about two weeks, when they spin their 

 cocoons in which the inactive pupas may soon be seen. In two weeks more the 

 mature fleas hop forth. There are several broods in a season. They pass the 

 winter certainly as images or mature fleas, and perhaps in other stages. 



Pulex felis (Bouche), or the cat-flea, is very similar and perhaps identical 

 with the dog-flea. Pulex gallinai (Schauk), 

 or the hen-flea, infests the poultry house and 

 attacks the hens. Other species live on 

 pigeons, bats, etc. All of the species will test 

 the quality of human blood, if opportunity 

 offers. The fact that larval fleas love and fig. 3.-lakva of flea. 



only flourish in dust and dirt accounts for the lively appearance of the dust 

 often noticed in poultry yards and about gardens, wiicre the dogs, cats and 



Dog-Flea. 



