The Flea

A compact natural-history and practical guide to the biology, classification, and medical relevance of fleas. It surveys external and internal anatomy, mouthparts and sense organs, life cycle from larva to adult, and distinguishing features used in identification; reviews species that infest humans, domestic animals, rats, bats and burrowing chigoes; explains methods for collecting, preserving and studying specimens; and discusses the role of certain species in transmitting plague. The work also provides a systematic overview, a regional species list, illustrative figures and a bibliography, presenting technical material in plain language for both naturalists and public-health readers.