SUCKING INSECTS. 



189 



without 2;ood reason that two eminent naturahsts 

 have arranged fleas in a group, called, by way of 

 eminence, suckers {Suctoria^ De Geer ; SiiceurSf 

 Latreille). 



According- to Mouffet's account of the sucker of the 

 flea, " the point of his nib is something hard, that 

 he may make it enter the better; and it must neces- 

 sarily be hollow, that he may suck out the blood and 

 carry it in*." Modern authors, particularly Straus 

 and Kirby, show that Rosel was mistaken in sup- 

 posing this sucker to consist of two pieces, as it is 

 really made up of seven. First, there are a pair of 

 triangular instruments, somewhat resembling the 

 beak of a bird, inserted on each side of the mouth, 

 under the parts which are generally regarded as the 

 antennae. Next, a pair of long sharp piercers 

 {Scalpdla, Kirby), which emerge from the head 

 below the preceding instruments : and a pair of feelers 

 (palpi), consisting of four joints, are attached to 

 these near their base. In fine, there is a long, 

 slender tongue, like a bristle, in the middle of these 

 several pieces. 



Suckers of the flea, greatly magnified, a, side view; b, under side; 

 c, upper side. 



According to Mouffet, also, " the lesser, leaner, 

 and younger they are, the sharper they bite, the fat 

 ones being more inclined to tickle and play ; and 

 then are not the least plague, especially when in 

 greater numbers, since they molest men that are 

 * Theatre of Itisecls, p. 1102. 



