Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 November 1875 — Trained Fleas. [ARTICLE]

Trained Fleas.

Signor Bertolotto, a venerable Italian, upward of sixty, in connection with the flea has established a European reputation. Yesterday he had his menagerie at 89 Union square, and invited a select audience to witness his performance. The arhibitor is a genial old man, With a voice modified by long intercourse with his minute friends his hand, though large, possesses an exqdisite delicacy of touch, and he bends over and fondles his singular pets as though he felt a real affection for them. In 1832 he began the training of fleas in England, and amassing a con siderable fortune retired from professional afe. Recently times have gone hard with him. and again he summons the fleas to his rescue. The professor's present troupe consists of 100 female fleas (male fleas are discarded as utterly intractable), which were brought from Canada,- the professor making the delightful announcement that fleas are extremely scarce in the United States. The performance yesterday opened with a p:issage-at-arms" between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, two blood-thirsty fleasthat, mounted 6n tiny paper-horses, attacked each other with spears. The tiny paper-horses being stationary, no great damage was done to either of the contestants, but the fleas really appeared actuated by. deadly hatred, and whirled the little spears about in a furious manner. Next an illustration of the immense strength of the creature was given in the performance of an herculean ea, who, being harnessed to a little gilt chariot, weighing just 1.200 times his own weight, drew the same about the table. As an agent of locomotion, however, the flea is not as much of a Success as in some other particulars, for, its legs being centered in the- immediate neighborhood of its head, there is an unavoidable slovenly appearance about the way in which it carries the remainder of the body; and besides, the natural gait of the flea is that of the agile kangaroo, and it can never be trained to assume a comely trot. However, the little creature shambled around with the chariot, and one of its fellows sat on the box asdignified a driver as ever cracked a whip. A wild flea was next produced, one that had never received any educational advantages. Its habit was still that of a creature who lives only to hop and bite, and aUhain and ball attached to the hindleg told of its unfltnes.s to associate unrestrained with its civilized brothers. The chain and ball were of gold, the former being just one inch in length and containing 400 links: On thesame microscopic plan all the paraphernalia used was constructed, little hats and coats fitting with remarkable nicety. Other of these remarkable insects were made to turn cranks and hoist- buckets, but the cZiefd~ oeuvre of the entertainment was some two dozen fleas at a ball. Al one end ot the ball-room was a complete orchestra, each flea holding its peculiar instrument in readiness for the dance. Op the floor two couples were seen, and on a tiny sofa another was engaged, at least so paid the professor, in a very desperate flirtation. A music-box was then set in motion, and at the first’sound the little insects began their respective vocations, those on the floor whirling; about in the dance and those in the orchestra working their legs, to which were attached the instruments, in a most enthusiastic manner. When the size of the flea is remembered the task of handling them at all will be appreciated. Fortunately, they sire as tough as porcupines, and can be unceremoniously picked up with- the little steel pincers without danger of hurting them. The average lifetime of a flea is about eight months, and as torn- months is required in subduing their spirits and altering their gait from a hop to a trot it will be seen that the process. of training is an endless one. Of the 800 fleas in this collection about half are performers and have to betaken from their harness of threads once a day to be fed. Their fodder is nothing less than the blood of the professor, who permits the whole flock to . browse on his left arm every morning.—W. F. ll 'orld.