Part 1

REVISED AND IMPROVED.

PHILADELPHIA: H. PERKINS, 134 CHESTNUT STREET. MDCCCXXXVIII.

ENTERED, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1838, by HENRY PERKINS, in the Clerk’s office of the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Printed by Haswell, Barrington, and Haswell.

To furnish the ingenious youth with the means of relieving the tediousness of a long winter’s or a wet summer’s evening,—to enable him to provide for a party of juvenile friends, instructive as well as recreative entertainment, without having recourse to any of the vulgar modes of killing time,—to qualify the hero of his little circle to divert and astonish his friends, and, at the same time, to improve himself, are the principal objects of the following little Work.

The boy whose wonder and curiosity have been excited by the experiments of the scientific lecturer, or the illusions of the ventriloquist, will here find many of these mysteries unveiled, and plain directions for performing them, divested, as far as possible, of scientific or technical language. Many of the descriptions are strictly original, and now, for the first time, appear in print; and especial care has been taken to introduce only such Experiments as are adapted for performance at the parlour or drawing-room table, or fire-side, and such as are practicable without expensive chemical or mechanical apparatus, and require no implements beyond those which any ingenious youth may readily furnish from his own resources, or at a trifling expense.

Another object of these pages is to inform, without being dryly scientific,—by imparting interesting facts, to stimulate the young experimentalist to inquire into the laws that regulate them,—by aiding him to acquire dexterity of practice, to smooth the road to the development of principles,—and, above all, to enable him to escape an imputation which every boy of spirit would consider the depth of disgrace,—that of being “No Conjuror!”

Transmutations. _Page_ The Spectral Lamp 1 Curious Change of Colours 2 The Protean Light 2 The Chameleon Flowers 3 To change the Colours of Flowers 3 Changes of the Poppy 3 To change the Colour of a Rose 4 Light changing White into Black 4 The Visibly growing Acorn 4 Changes in Sap-Green 5 To revive apparently dead Plants 5 Singular effect of Tears 5 Beauties of Crystallization 5 To crystallize Camphor 7 Crystallized Tin 7 Crystals in hard Water 7 Varieties of Crystals 7 Heat from Crystallization 8 Splendid Sublimation 8 Artificial Ice 8 Magic Inks 8 Chameleon Liquids 9 The Magic Dyes 9 Wine changed into Water 10 Two colourless transparent Liquids become black and opaque 10 Two colourless Fluids make a coloured one 10 Change of colour by colourless Fluids 10 To change a Blue Liquid to White 11 Veritable “Black” Tea 11 Restoration of Colour by Water 11 The Magic Writing 12 Two Liquids make a Solid 12 Two Solids make a Liquid 12 A solid opaque mass made a transparent Liquid 12 Two cold Liquids make a hot one 12 Quadruple Transmutation 13 Quintuple Transmutation 13 Combination of Colours 13 Union of two Metals without Heat 13 Magic Breath 13 Two Bitters make a Sweet 14 Visible and Invisible 14

Sight and Sound. Artificial Mirage 17 Motion of the Eye 18 Single Vision with two Eyes 19 Two objects seen as one 19 Only one object can be seen at a time 20 Straight objects seen crooked 20 Optical Illusion 21 Pin-hole Focus 21 Optical Deceptions 22 Accuracy of Sight 22 Visual Deception 23 Handwriting upon the Wall 23 Imitative Haloes 23 To read a Coin in the dark 24 To make a Prism 24 Optical Augmentation 25 Gold Fish in a glass Globe 26 Colours produced by the unequal action of Light upon the Eyes 26 Optical Deception 27 Coloured Shadows 27 Colours of Scratches 27 Ocular Spectra 28 Beautiful Colours of Mother of Pearl 28 White Letters seen further than Black 29 Artificial Rainbow 29 Fringe about a Candle 29 The Double Coloured Reflection 30 Luminous Cross 30 Ring of Colours round a Candle 30 Simple and Cheap Opera-glass 31 Multiplying Theatres 31 Apparatus for Writing in the Dark 32 Portable Microscope 33 The Phenakistiscope or Stroboscope 34 To look at the Sun without injury 35 Brilliant Water Mirror 35 Optical Illusion under Water 35 The Magic Wheels 36 Acoustic Rainbow 37 Transmission of Sound 37 Progress of Sound 39 Sound turning Corners 39 To tell the distance of Thunder 40 Hearing by the Touch 40 Conversation for the Deaf 40 Glass broken by the Voice 41 Figures produced by Sound 41 Transmitted Vibration 42 Double Vibration 42 Champagne and Sound 42 Music from Palisades 43 Theory of the Jew’s Harp 43 Music of the Snail 44 To tune a Guitar without the assistance of the Ear 44 Music from Glass or Metal Rods 44 The Tuning-fork a Flute-player 45 Musical Bottles 46 Theory of Whispering 46 Theory of the Voice 46 Sound along a Wall 47 Sounds more audible by Night than by Day 47 Musical Echo 47 Ventriloquism 48

Light and Heat. Flashes of Light upon revolving Wheels 53 Decomposition of Light 54 Solar Refraction 54 Incantations 55 To imitate the Light of the Sea 55 Instantaneous Lights 56 To colour the Flame of a Candle 57 To divide the Flame of a Candle 57 Cane Wick Lamp 58 Camphor and Platinum Lamp 58 Platinum and Ether Lamp 58 Floating Light 59 Substitute for a Wax Taper 59 Phosphorescent Fish 59 The Luminous Spectre 59 Light, a Painter 60 Effect of Light upon Crystallization 60 Effect of Light on Plants 60 Instantaneous Light upon Ice 61 White Light from Zinc 61 Brilliant Light from two Metals 61 Brilliant Light from Steel 61 Lighted Tin 62 Light from Gilt Buttons 62 Light from a Flower 62 Light from Sugar 62 Light from the Potato 63 Light from the Oyster 63 Light from Derbyshire Spar 63 Light from Oyster-shells 64 Rings of Light in Crystal 64 To strike Light with Cane 64 Cause of Transparency 64 Transparency of Gold 65 Tint changed by Thickness 65 Shadows made darker by increased Light 65 Miniature Thunder and Lightning 66 The Burning Glass 66 Magic of Heat 66 Repulsion by Heat 67 Heat passing through Glass 68 Metals unequally influenced by Heat 68 Spontaneous Combustion 69 Inequality of Heat in Fire irons 69 Expansion of Metal by Heat 69 Evaporation of a Metal 69 A Floating Metal on Fire 70 Heat and Cold from Flannel 70 Ice melted by Air 70 To hold a hot Tea-kettle on the Hand 70 Incombustible Linen 71 The Burning Circle 71 Water of different Temperatures in the same Vessel 71 Warmth of different Colours 71 Substitute for Fire 72

Gas and Steam. Laughing Gas 75 The Luminous Wand 76 To make Carbonic Acid Gas 76 Carbonic Acid Gas in Wine or Beer Vessels 76 To extinguish Flame with Gas 77 Effect of Hydrogen on the Voice 77 Magic Taper 78 The Gas Candle 78 Gas Bubbles 78 Gas-light in the day-time 79 Miniature Balloons 79 Miniature Gas-lighting 79 Musical Gas 80 Miniature Will o’-the-wisp 81 Phosphoric Illumination 81 Combustion of Iron in Oxygen Gas 81 Glow-worm in Oxygen Gas 82 Luminous Charcoal 82 Brilliant Combustion in Oxygen 82 Flame from Cold Metals 83 Phosphorus in Chlorine 83 Caoutchouc Balloons 84 To increase the Light of Coal Gas 84 Gas from Indian Rubber 84 Ether Gas 85 Magic Vapour 85 Gas from the union of Metals 85 Invisible Gases made Visible 86 Light under Water 86 Gaseous Evanescence 86 Violet-coloured Gas 86 To collect Gases 87 The Deflagrating Spoon 87 What is Steam? 87 The Steam Engine simplified 88 To boil Water by Steam 88 Distillation in Miniature 89 Candle or Fire Crackers 89 Steam from the Kettle 89

Fire, Water, and Air. Coloured Flames 93 Yellow Flame 94 Orange-coloured Flame 94 Emerald Green Flame 94 Instantaneous Flame 94 The Cup of Flame 95 To cool Flame by Metal 95 Proof that Flame is Hollow 95 Camphor sublimed by Flame 95 Green Fire 96 Brilliant Red Fire 96 Purple Fire 96 Silver Fire 97 The Fiery Fountain 97 The Artificial Conflagration 97 Inflammable Powder 97 Combustion without Flame 98 Combustion of Three Metals 98 To make Paper Incombustible 98 Singular Experiments with Glass Tubes 98 Aquatic Bomb 99 Heat not to be estimated by Touch 99 Flame upon Water 100 Rose-coloured Flame on Water 100 To set a Mixture on Fire with Water 100 Waves of Fire on Water 100 Explosion in Water 101 Water from the Flame of a Candle 101 Formation of Water by Fire 101 Boiling upon Cold Water 101 Currents in Boiling Water 102 Hot Water lighter than Cold 102 Expansion of Water by Cold 102 The Cup of Tantalus 103 Imitative Diving Bell 103 The Water-proof Sieve 104 More than full 104 To cause Wine and Water to change places 104 Pyramid of Alum 104 Visible Vibration 105 Charcoal in Sugar 106 Floating Needles 106 Water in a Sling 106 Attraction in a Glass of Water 106 To prevent Cork floating in Water 107 Instantaneous Freezing 107 To freeze Water with Ether 107 Production of Nitre 108 Curious Transposition 108 Animal Barometer 108 Magic Soap 108 Equal Pressure of Water 109 To empty a Glass under Water 109 To empty a Glass of Water without touching it 109 Decomposition of Water 110 Water heavier than Wine 110 To inflate a Bladder without Air 110 Air and Water Balloon 110 Heated Air Balloon 111 The Pneumatic Tinder-box 111 The Bacchus Experiment 111 The Mysterious Circles 112 Prince Rupert’s Drops 114 Vegetable Hygrometer 114 The Pneumatic Dancer 115 The Ascending Snake 116 The Pneumatic Phial 116 Resin Bubbles 117 Moisture of the Atmosphere 117 Climates of a Room 117 Bubbles in Champagne 118 Proofs that Air is a heavy Fluid 118 To support a Pea on Air 119 Pyrophorus, or Air-tinder 119 Beauty of a Soap-bubble 120 Why a Guinea falls more quickly than a Feather through the Air 121 Solidity of Air 122 Breathing and Smelling 122