Although the skin and jacket of the dog would seem to afford conditions highly favorable for various kinds of free animal parasites there is really only one which has a very decided preference for him, and that is the Pulex cams or flea of the dog. A number of others are occasional visitors, yet as a rule they are easily destroyed or affronted and persuaded to leave. But this pest is an eminent exception, and of all questions that engage the minds of owners, how to overcome him is the most disturbing, for so great are his pertinacity, vitality and reactive powers, many poisons that are speedily fatal to other insects are to him merely sleep-producers that lay him up for an hour or two, when he is as lively and vigorous as ever; while unfortunately most of the surely destructive agents, which throttle him as it were - oily and viscid liquids - are so highly objectionable that but few care to resort to them.

It seems to be generally accepted that the Pulex irritans, the human flea, and the Pulex cams, the dog flea, are one and the same. Such is not the case however, for they have very decided distinctive features, and while the former may infest the dog the latter never attaches himself permanently to man, although he may annoy him with occasional visits.

There is yet another prevalent notion about fleas, namely, that all in sandy districts are the so-called Pulex penetrans or sand-flea. As a matter of fact the true sand-flea is peculiar to hot countries, and although it has been found in some parts of Africa it is common only in South America, where it is variously known as the chigger, chigoe, jigger, etc. Another sand-flea, of enormous size, is met with on the shores of the Mediterranean, but, as said, none of these species are ever found in northern latitudes except embedded in persons from the infested districts.

The human flea and the dog flea, however, seek sand in which to lay their eggs and hatch out their young, and during the season in which this is going on it is almost impossible to keep them out of buildings that are located near sand-hills or on sand only recently deposited. But they naturally prefer that which is undisturbed, and although they may swarm in a load fresh from the hills, if spread out over a driveway or dog-yard and well rolled down it no longer as nicely serves their purpose, and they soon seek more favorable situations.

These troublesome insects, rightly called flies without wings, suck blood like leeches, and not content to satisfy their appetites they treat their hosts to injections of a highly irritating fluid which soon assures them that they have been victimized. Another deplorable peculiarity of. theirs is that they multiply with distressing rapidity, the female laying about twenty eggs in as many days, from which the larvae emerge in the course of a week and are then speedily matured; but until full-grown the mother supplies them with nourishment - sucking blood enough for herself and them.

Fortunately for mankind, human fleas are not very abundant except on the seashore during the hottest part of the summer, where their presence is largely due to the bathers, who of course are their easiest victims, while at inland places the most of the bites can safely be laid at the doors of dog fleas. And wherever there is a dog this species is likely to have representatives, and a goodly number always during the summer season.

But there are measures which will do much in the way of prevention, and one is to bed down the dogs with pine shavings and place about in the same a goodly number of carbolic "disinfecting balls," which so many housekeepers employ to keep moths out of clothing. Another quite potent measure is the use of the oils of turpentine and kerosene, the same being freely sprinkled over the bedding and woodwork of the kennel.

Still another means which is sometimes resorted to by breeders is the free use of air-slacked lime in the kennel yard, it being scattered about upon the ground during or after a rain-fall. And this is certainly a commendable custom, for the lime is destructive to the ova or eggs of insects and parasites; yet it will not retain this effect in considerable degree if too long exposed to the air before it is used.

But the most potent preventive measure is cleanliness. In fact owners and caretakers are responsible for fleas, and if a kennel is kept clean, whitewashed often, and the dogs are well groomed once a day and washed occasionally with the soft soap recommended in part devoted to "Exhibiting Dogs " these troublesome insects will but rarely intrude, and certainly not remain long when they do so.

Of the various agents that have been recommended for the destruction of fleas the Persian and Dalmatian insect powders appear to be the most popular. The first named, called also the Caucasian, consists of the flowers of Pyrethrum carneum and roseum - natives of the Caucasian mountains - while the other is a product of the Pyrethrum cineraricefolium; and of the two, this is the more powerful.

These powders are often destructive, yet they are by no means positively so in all instances, and in the exceptions they simply have a narcotic effect which lasts for a few hours only, when apparently complete recovery takes place. Nor can they be relied upon to keep dogs free from the pests, for they are soon shaken off with all their virtues, consequently they must be used daily and perhaps twice a day to do any lasting good.

A bellows is the best means of application, or in its absence a tin box with a perforated cover can be used. And in every instance the powder should be well worked into the hair and down to the skin, the subject under treatment meanwhile standing or lying on a paper, which, with what falls upon it, should be burned that all the fleas may with certainty be destroyed.

But beyond being merely palliative these powders are objected to by many persons because of the irritation they excite in the air-passages of the users; and as a matter of fact without being really poisonous to man they are yet capable of causing him discomfort and producing symptoms closely resembling those induced by a cold in the head, especially in persons inclined to chronic nasal catarrh. Consequently, as a frequent application they can scarcely be advised, at least in a dry form. But this objection is avoided when they are employed with alcohol and water; moreover, the tinctures made from them are more powerful and lasting in their effects than the powders themselves.