INSECTS OF THE HOUSEHOLD 79 



It is not proposed to import any specimens for study 

 or even to ask pupils to search their homes for them, 

 since those who are successful in their search cannot be 

 expected to own up to the fact. If sometime during 

 the year specimens cannot be found in the school, the 

 study may be confined to prepared specimens collected 

 from former years, by way of prevention, or it may be 

 omitted altogether. 



Whenever specimens are found, the opportunity should 

 be utilized to give a series of lessons that can never be 

 forgotten. The child upon whose person or belongings 

 any of the above-mentioned insects, with possible excep- 

 tion of fleas, are found should be sent home and not 

 allowed to return to school until assurance is given that 

 the pest has been thoroughly dealt with. Due care should 

 be exercised, of course, not to be too severe in case of 

 an accidental specimen for which neither the home nor 

 child is responsible. The ethical side is very clear in all 

 such cases, and it should be made plain to each child that 

 his carelessness may cause a whole school and neighbor- 

 hood useless labor and distress. 



For purposes of reference (and information is needed 

 by a large portion of the public) a brief outline of the 

 life story is added for each species, together with one or 

 two of the most approved remedies. 



Fleas. The most common flea in this country is the 

 dog and cat flea, Pulex serraticeps, which attacks man as 

 well and often infests houses where these pets are kept. 

 When numerous it may cause as much annoyance as 

 the human flea, P. irritans. In fact, the two species are 

 so nearly alike both in appearance and in life story that 



