Vol. XXIV. No. 2.] 
POPULAE SCIENCE NEWS. 
19 
copper objects has thrown new light upon the 
transition period. The old supposition that the 
Lacustre imported his metal implements was over- 
thrown bv the proofs furnished at Fenil to the con- 
trary, amid the debris of the palafittes. But, though 
the chisels, beads, poignards, etc., were home-made, 
the metal was cerfainlj imported. Fenil is the 
exponent here, also, for several ingots of pure cop- 
per have been found at this station, made in porta- 
ble form, pierced for the rings bv which they were 
suspended. The copper poignards are rivetted to 
the wooden handles ; small copper plaques (dress 
adornments) are also furnished with rivets. This 
is a great advance, even on the neat handiwork of 
the second period. It is evident that during this 
transition period — which lasted only until the La- 
custre found that an alloy of tin with the copper 
produced a harder, more beautiful, and more ser- 
viceable weapon — the implements of stone fell into 
disuse. There was no longer a demand for the 
foreign minerals, and the importation ceased. The 
workman was wrestling with the problem of 
metallurgy. The Stone Age was practically dead. 
The pottery of the transition age of copper is dis- 
tinguished by grace and elegance of design ; also by 
a special mode of ornamentation, obtained by means 
of tying threads at equal distances around the vases, 
found also on the urns in the tombs of northern 
Germany. Other forms of decoration also appear — 
the series of lines crossing one another, and impres- 
sions made by the fingers, being, perhaps, the most 
frequent. Remains of baskets, linen tissues, and 
nets belong to this period, and, from the station of 
Locras, Dr. Gross obtained a complete spindle, 
formed of wood, surrounded with thread ; it only 
lacked the stone shuttle. Several shuttles have been 
found, furnished with wooden cylinders, and a clew 
of thread, which, if it were not charred, would seem 
to be of modern handiwork. 
Such, in brief, are the distinguishing character- 
istics of the three periods of the Stone Age, which 
lead us from the earliest ages of the Proto-Helvete 
to his artistic triumphs of the "beautiful age of 
Bronze."* 
Among the bones of animals found in the debris 
of the palafittes, we have those of the ox, horse, 
goat, pig, sheep, cat. stag, roe-buck, beaver, hedge- 
hog, bear, wolf, wild-boar, fox, frog, otter, hare, 
swan, duck, pigeon, pike, carp, etc. Remains are 
also found of fruits and cereals ; of fruits — the 
apple, acorn, nut, plum, strawberry, raspberrv, 
mulberry, pea, bean, lentil, chestnut, etc.; of 
cereals — wheat, oats, barley, millet, etc 
It is not possible to do more than approximate 
to the length of time between the advent of the first 
colonists to the lakes and the beginning of the 
Bronze Age. Dr. Gross thinks that at least twenty 
or thirty centuries must have passed, judging from 
the number of the stone stations, and the gradual 
progress of the workmanship of the objects found in 
the palafittes. 
The waters of the lakes have been faithful guardi- 
ans of the secrets confided to their care. Perchance, 
the clumsy implement which the patient professor 
in the boat at our side has just succeeded in wresting 
from the " sands of time," has been in hiding for at 
least two thousand years. And the hands that drove 
the piles into the lake, upon which we have built 
our phantom city, have been dust — how long.' 
•Prof. Desor. 
, rOriginal in Popular Seienee Xewa.} 
THE CHIGGER. (Leptus Irriians.)* 
BY H. M. WHELPLEY, PH. G., F. R M. S. 
This is a minute insect, much smaller, but in form 
closely resembling, the true tick (Ixodida:.} It varies 
in color from a dull brick-red to a bright blood-red. 
It has six well-developed legs, each one terminating 
in two stiff hairs. Its maxillje are strong and 
elbowed, and look much like a pair of partially- 
developed legs. The mandibles are large and well 
marked internally by three indentations. After 
measuring twenty specimens, I found the average 
dimensions to be 15 mm. long and 1-6 mm. wide, 
(1-125 by 1-150 inch), and the body is about as 
broad in front as behind. The legs are about the 
same length as the body, and 1-40 mm. (1-2,000 
inch) wide. The following illustration gives a very 
good idea of the animal, as seen under an amplifica- 
tion of about two hundred and fifty diameters : 
Easy Method of Obtaining Oxygen. — It is 
proposed by C. F. Gohring to prepare pure oxygen 
by adding permanganate of potash to peroxide 
of hydrogen rendered slightly alkaline by ammo- 
nl». 
. Professor C. V. Riley gave an account of the 
insect in the American Naturalist for January, 1873, 
and christened it Leptus irritans, or the "harvest 
mite." In its habitat it is variously known as the 
"chigger," "jigger," "red bug," and "harvest 
bug." I find what is undoubtedly the same insect 
referred to in a European work as the Leptus 
autumnalis, or "harvest flea." In this country, 
this human parasite is confined to the Missi.ssippi 
valley, ranging in latitude from the 35th to the 40th 
degree. It makes its appearance in the early sum- 
mer, about the first of the month of June, and 
continues to annoy human beings until the first 
frost kills off the season's supply. It is most active 
in the month of August. The little pests are found 
on all kinds of vegetation, but especially on black- 
berry bushes. They are least likely to be found on 
cultivated vegetation, and do not thrive well in wet 
seasons. It is in the dry, hot time that the chigger 
adds most to the discomforts of humanity. It seems 
to be partial to mankind, and, as far as I know, does 
not trouble any other animal. They seem to attach 
themselves to the clothing of anyone who comes' 
their way, and immediately start out on a tour of 
inspection to find a suitable place to commence 
operations. If the underclothing is changed soon 
after they become attached to it, the little fellows do 
not give up, but patiently wait, even for several 
days, for the wearing apparel to be put on again, 
when they will crawl upon the flesh and act as lively 
as ever. The majority of them make for the axillae, 
pubes, and the inside of the thighs, while a few fall 
by the wayside and commence operations wherever 
they happen to first come in contact with the flesh. 
On boys and men they are very partial to the exter- 
nal genitals, and sometimes cause an alarming 
inflammation of these part?. 
Within a few hours' time the animal will have 
completely buried itself in the integument, and 
causes a small red swelling with a putulous center. 
*A paper read before the St. I-o\iiR Club ol Microscopists. 
This action is accompanied by intense itching, and 
the animal may be scratched out, but not until it has 
started a sore which will take from a day to a week 
or more to heal. It is a curious fact that some 
people are never troubled by these parasites, no 
matter how much they are among them. It has 
also been noticed that persons from other parts of 
the country will have much more severe sores than 
the natives of the part of the country where they 
abound. After one or two seasons, a stranger be- 
comes acclimated, and is not excessively irritated by 
them. I well remember my first season's experience, 
but subsequent summers I did not fare worse than 
the average persons. 
The methods of treatment are numerous, for, 
although the sores are not dangerous, they are very 
disagreeable, and many things have been tried to 
cure them up quickly. Among the principal appli- 
cations are raw salt pork, bacon fat, water of ammo- 
nia, chloroform, ether, carbolic acid and glycerine 
or oil (80 grs. to i oz.), sulphur ointment, salt 
water, bicarbonate of sodium solution. The most 
effectual method is to look for the individual insects 
by aid of a magnifying-glass, and remove them with 
a pin-point. They are very active before they get 
located, and will travel with considerable rapidity. 
Children become quite expert at catching them 
when on the flesh, and I have known of more than 
a score being removed at one hunt before any had 
found time to take hold of the flesh. The fat salt 
pork grease is the most popular application for the 
sores, but the glycerine and carbolic acid is 
undoubtedly as effectual. The pustule should be 
opened and the pus removed before the lotion is 
applied. 
Judging from the immense numbers that make 
themselves manifest by attacking man every year, 
the chigger must be a very prolific animal. Its 
mode of life shows that vegatation is its normal 
food. But, like the man-eating tiger, the chigger 
that once tastes human blood has no more use for 
its former food, and perishes in a vain attempt to 
devour all mankind. 
To the microscopist, the chigger is an object of 
interest. It makes an interesting and popular 
mount. In order to obtain the animal in all its 
glory, it should be caught while seeking a lodging 
place on someone's body. Place it directly into 
glycerine, and mount in the same medium while the 
animal is endeavoring to swim: then you will have 
a perfect specimen, in good position to study. 
Examine with a 4-10 inch objective. 
The literature on the subject is exceedingly scarce, 
the article by Prof Riley to which I have referred 
being the only one of note that I have been able to 
find. 
[Original in Popular Science News.] 
THE RAINY SEASON OF FLORIDA. 
BY PROF. THOMAS R. BAKER. 
Thk rainy season of Florida usually begins early 
in June, and continues about three months. This 
year it began on the 15th of June, and ended on the 
24th of September, its time — both of beginning and 
ending — being quite clearly defined. This season 
is characterized by not only frequent, but by fre- 
quently excessive, rains. For many successive days 
there may be showers every day, but there may be 
intervals of several days — as was the case during the 
rain^' season of this year — when no rain falls. There 
is an average of about one heavy rain a week during 
this season. 
I quote some interesting facts on this subject from 
the notes of a local meteorological observer of this 
place (Orlando) : From the beginning of the rainy 
season (June 15) to the end of June, rain fell on 
fourteen days. Rain fell on fifteen days during 
