PERFORMING FLEAS. 363 



Throughout the summer plant-bugs abound ; certain kinds 

 of them usually frequenting certain plants. Several of similar 

 form, but varied in colour, red, black, green, are almost 

 always to be found upon the southern-wood. They are 

 common also, the green especially, on umbelliferous flowers ; 

 and there is a pretty brown species peculiar to the thistle, 

 with four delicately mottled membranous wings. Though 

 always vegetable frequenters, these insects are not, at least, 

 always vegetable feeders ; their sharp beak-like suckers (some- 

 thing resembling those of aphides) being sometimes employed 

 upon aphides themselves. 



In magnitude, as well as brilliancy of colour, the tropic 

 bugs, as well as tropic butterflies, confessedly excel our own ; 

 but for the blue bug of China we have one scarcely less 

 beautiful, the blue bug of England, 1 which flies in the July 

 sunshine, or is found resting upon heath or trees. 2 



Now, for a word or two about that sanguinary little monster, 

 the Flea, which, like other sanguinary monsters of a larger 

 growth, has been, perhaps, of all insects the most distinguished. 



Stands it not recorded in history how that an individual flea 

 was once honoured by a cannon-shot from a female royal hand, 

 that of the celebrated Queen Christian ? and is not the brass 

 piece of Lilliputian ordnance used on that memorable occasion 

 exhibited in proof thereof, perhaps, to this very day, in the 

 capital of Sweden ? 



Has not " a company " of fleas, for many years, attracted, 

 by its unrivalled performances, the curious sight-seers of 

 London ? Have they not there beheld a flea quadrille danced 

 to the fiddles of a flea orchestra ? Have they not laughed at 

 two pulician combatants, sword in hand, adjusting a point of 



1 Pentafoma ccerulea. 



2 The flying bugs of Hindostan, resembling our own domestic species in 

 shape, size, and scent, are described by Bishop Heber as coming out in nightly 

 swarms from every bush, entering the windows and crowding round the 

 candles. 



