186 The Carnivora. 
fleas by taking a piece of sheep’s wool in their mouths, and 
immersing the whole of their bodies, except the nose, in 
water, when, being driven out of the skin, the insects took 
refuge in the piece of wool as the only dry place of access; 
but could not make up my mind to believe so extraordinary 
an example of reasoning without the clearest evidence. The 
following account, by M. A. Paladilhe, in Nature, 6th Nov., 
1873, is strongly in support of the fact: 
“On one occasion, when I happened to pass my college 
vacation at the Chapelle d’ Angillon, my attention was at- 
tracted twice or three times, when rambling by the side of a 
small stream called the Petite-Saudre, by a floating mass of 
moss, which, when drawn to the bank, was found to be 
swarming with fleas. An old peasant of the neighbourhood, 
who observed my surprise, gave me the following explanation, 
the correctness of which, said he, he could warrant. Foxes 
are much tormented by fleas, and when the infliction becomes 
severe, they gather from the bark of trees, moss, which they 
carry in their mouths to the side of a stream where the 
water deepens by degrees. Here they enter the water, still 
carrying the moss in their mouths, and going backwards, 
beginning from the end of their tail, they advance by slow 
degrees until the whole body of the animal, with the excep- 
tion of the mouth, is entirely immersed. The fleas, during 
this proceeding, have rushed successively in rapid haste to 
the dry parts, and finally to the moss; and the fox, when, 
according to his calculation, he has allowed sufficient time 
for all the fleas to take their departure, quietly opens his 
mouth. The floating moss, with its interesting freight, is 
carried away by the stream, and the animal finds his way 
back to the bank, with a feeling of much satisfaction at 
having thus freed himself from his tormentors. Many per- 
sons, and very trustworthy ones, confirmed to me the old 
peasant’s account.” The finding by M. Paladilhe of these 
bunches of moss, with their insect freight, goes very far 
towards establishing the truth of this singular account, for 
