152 INSECTS AFFECTING DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 
floors down with hot soapsuds in order to secure relief from the flea plague. In 
another case, however, a single liberal application of buhach was perfectly success- 
ful, while in a third a single thorough application of benzine completely rid an 
infested house of fleas. 
To sum up: Every house where a pet dog or cat is kept may become seriously 
infested with fleas if the proper conditions of moisture and freedom from disturbance 
exist. Infestation, however, is not likely to occur if the (bare) floors can be fre- 
quently and thoroughly swept. When an outbreak of fleas comes, however, the 
easiest remedy to apply is a free sprinkling of pyrethrum powder in the infested 
rooms. This failing, benzine may be tried, a thorough spraying of carpets and floors 
being undertaken, with the exercise of due precaution in seeing that no lights or 
fires are in the house at the time of the application, or for some hours afterwards. 
Finally, if the plague is not thus abated, all floor coverings must be removed and 
the floors washed with hot soapsuds. This is a useful precaution to take in any 
house which it is proposed to close for the summer, since even a thorough sweeping 
may leave behind some few flea eggs from which an all-pervading swarm may develop 
before the house is reopened. * * * 
Provide a rug for the cat or the dog to sleep on and give this rug a frequent shak- 
ing and brushing, afterwards sweeping up and burning the dust thus removed. As 
all the flea eggs on an infested animal will not, however, drop off in this way, and 
those which remain on it will probably develop successfully, it will be found wise 
to occasionally rub into the hair of the dog or cat a quantity of pyrethrum powder. 
If thoroughly applied, it will cause the fleas to fall off in a half stupefied condition, | 
when they, too, may be swept up and burned. 
In the observations made at this Department upon this species of flea during the 
summer of 1895, some difficulty was found in preserving just the right degree of 
moisture to enable the insect successfully to transform. An excess of moisture was 
found prejudicial to the development of the species, as was too great dryness. The 
observations showed, however, that at Washington in summer an entire generation 
may develop in a little more than a fortnight. Hence a housekeeper shutting up 
her house in June, for example, with a colony of fleas too small to be noticed inside 
it need not be surprised to find the establishment overrun when she opens it up again 
in September or October. 
RABBIT FLEAS. 
SE ee ie Ne ce te ek ee ee Be 
The different kinds of rabbits are very abundantly supplied with 
fleas, as doubtless any one who has handled 
these animals will willingly testify. According 
to authorities, however, there are at least three 
different species of fleas which may infest them. 
The species infesting the European hares is 
known as Pulex goniocephalus Tasch., and this 
has not as yet been recognized in America. 
Pulex gigas of Kirby was originally described 
from Canada, and Baker has recorded it from 
the cottontail rabbit, at Lansing, Mich. It is 
Fic. 84.—Puler inaequalis. described as having the head rather evenly 
head and forepart of body— rounded in front, the eyes in the anterior half of 
Bere the head, mandibles reaching two-thirds of the 
coxe, the comb on the border of the head of one or two spines, pro- 
notal comb of 20 spines, light reddish-brown, the female 4 mm. long. 
