TO-DAY’S NATURE NOTE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 109, 1 February 1935, Page 10

TO-DAY’S NATURE NOTE

How the Flea Works A Ilea’s powerful muscles and its piercing and sucking organs are its most prominent physical features. Its high jump of more than four inches is equiva lent to a man’s loan of about fifty times his own height. On the level, it can cover about twelve inches. To match this, a man six feet tall would have to jump 300 yards. In a flea’s mouth-parts there are toothed lancets. Interlocked, these become a tube Through it a victim’s blood is pumped into the flea’s stomach where it is digested. Another pump pours a stream of saliva into the victim’s/ blood-vessels. Having made an aperture in the skin a Ilea elevates its body ami its hind legs and thrusts downward with nil its weight, and the pumps are set going. Irritation caused by n flea-bite is attributed to yeast-like bodies in the saliva —J. Drummond. F.L.S.. F.Z.S. 'The Dominion" invites readers to sena de scriptions in not more than 200 words of their observations from Nature. .4 price of five sVllings is given each neck for the best con tribution received Address? Nature Note "The Dominion.’’ Wellington