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Art. L I V. — The Learned Fleas. 



Juvat imbribus actis 

 Progeniem parvam revisere — Vikgil. 



Compelled to shelter from a shower, 



We whiled away a pleasant hour, 



Revisiting the learned fleas. H. D. 



Courteous Reader, — It is a pleasant thing to see iuunan 

 intellect soaring triumphantly over every obstacle and com- 

 manding applause. It is a pleasant thing to hear a philoso- 

 pher lecturing of the motions of worlds, or the combinations 

 of atoms, on the taming of elephants, or the breaking-in of 

 fleas. Large and small are terms without a meaning. Size 

 has no existence. Comparison is the only measure. Is our 

 philosophy intelligible? are we understood? Yes; we know 

 we are understood. 



Fleas have lately obtained an unusual share of notice. 

 M. Dugcs supplied them with wings and antennae ; Mr. New- 

 man denies their claim to eyes ; and Messrs. Curtis and West- 

 wood give them hard names : but greater honours than these 

 were in store for them ; and our friend in Regent-street,^ — 

 worthy man, — has taught them habits of civilized life, and 

 sh6wn them to be exceedingly docile, if not rational, creatures; 

 we find, however, that their merits are still but little known 

 to the w^orld, and we hasten to record them. 



In the exhibition-room is a large elevated table, covered 

 with green cloth ; on this are several small tables, say six or 

 eight inches square, and these are covered with white paper, 

 and are the stages on which the Messrs. Flea perform ; and 

 now, courteous reader, we will conclude this introduction of 

 our subject, by introducing thee to the great master of the 

 fleas, and allow him to explain the exhibition in his own way. 



*' This, you see, ladies, is a mail-coach; it is made just like 

 a mail coach in every part ; take this glass and examine it ; 

 you will observe the wheels are perfect, and every part ; there 

 are four passengers inside; the horses are fleas, all harnessed 

 with silk harness, and all buckled on its proper place; the 

 coachman is a flea, with a whip, and the guard is also a flea, 

 with a silver tin-horn, which he puts to his mouth every now 



* No. 238, opposite Hanover-street. 



