Cliil'TI.K Xl\. 



()inn:U IV. AlMlAMriKllA (KiiiiiW 



arCTOUlA (Dtottu). Al'TEliA ( Laiubc«). 



To av lii me 'imriulip-) in riassiflcallon, all thnt fumlly fif Inst-rls kn<.wii n^ flms.hnvc 

 bet'U wimrnlitl fn>ni tlu-ir a>«««K inti-s, ami niadr an onltr un«ltr tin- namr nlx.vt- pivcn : 

 th«' onltT th<Tff'>n« c<>nsi>tsi>r tho singi*' rainily of tlie I'l i.icio.i;, <'f which th»- r<>nim<>n 

 flea, Puirs irritant, is the leading tyj*. The Ixxly of this iiJM'ct is c<>vtr«-<l with a flmi 

 intcgumint, sumi-wJuit shining, an«l \iwTv ur lfs,s rover»-tl with l»ri>ih« armnpcd in r^ws. 

 Its ntouth is surt<>riul,anti is cnnipost'il of acoiupU-te apparatus U»th for inflicting woiind5, 

 ami for surkinff th<* 1>1(mh1 <>r juices into thf stomach. 



Th«- t'lLicii)^ Hn< all small insects, yet their anatomy is well known, as made out in a 

 very elalxirate manner l>y Craris, Westwoud, an»l M. Digm. The mouth is comiH>sctl of 

 seven pieces : it lias two nmnd eyes >ituati-«l M|M.n the sides of the head, and anteniUD 

 placed behind them in a small cavity which is iLsually cli.-e<l with a lid «'r scale. The 

 t>K>rax has three segments : the aUlomen is large; the wings are repres«nted l-y small 

 scales ; the legs are long, hut muscular, and hence are capalde of in-rlorming wt^nderful 

 feats in lea]>ing. 



The tlea api>ears to have a choice among the animals it selects for its j>rey : the pig and 

 dog seem to ei\Joy a preference ; and for its favorite haunts it selects filthy straw, shavings, 

 litter «»f most kinds, and «lr)' .sandy s\ntX». In these jdaces, under favorable conditions, fleas 

 Increase enormously ; and the surface of sand when- hogs have l>een litteretl during the 

 winter is often black with them, es|>ecially in southern countries. 



The chigre, or jigjfer, Pulrr />fnf/ranj,of theWest Indies, l^elongs to this family : indeed 

 the s|>ecies of Pi i.».\ are (juile numerous; thus the doc, l^t, hedgehoc, mole, mouse, and 

 cat have eoch their jfcuiiar species. So even birds are infested with para>ites U-longing to 

 this genus. 



It is In warm climates that the pests of this fjuuily most particularly aN>und,and their 

 torments are most felt and ilreadeil, rendering a resi<lence there extremely uncomfortable. 

 In our own ciiuntry, cleanline,ss is the antidote to fleas. The di^>rvard is freqtiently the 

 nursery f >r them, especially where chij'S and ilecajinir wood are allowed to accumulate, 

 mixcl with stniw, the refuse of the kitchen, and the blood of domestic animals that have 

 l-^n kill.tl for UA. 



An infusion of tolwieco is an efTeotual remedy for domestic animals against flens, and 

 the hen|>« of filth in which they are engendered should I* removed and burnt. 



