The Flea 
THE FLEA 
The Flea (Pulex Irritans) presents to us 
several problems, one of which you have 
probably felt. Having located him, how 
can I catch him ? The scientist, too, has 
been much perplexed, being unable for a 
long time to decide which class or order 
of insects the flea belonged to properly. It 
is now generally held to belong to the 
“ aphaniptera,” or those possessing rudi- 
mentary wings. To some people — I do 
not refer to the respectable people reading 
this article — the flea is known very well 
by the sense of touch, but not so well 
by close inspection. The body of the 
insect is inclined to be oval in shape, 
and it is possessed of a hard, horny skin 
of a brilliant brown, or chestnut hue, 
and its head is rather small in proportion 
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