The Magician's Own Book, or, the Whole Art of Conjuring Being a complete hand-book of parlor magic, and containing over one thousand optical, chemical, mechanical, magnetical, and magical experiments, amusing transmutations, astonishing sleights and subtleties, celebrated card deceptions, ingenious tricks with numbers, curious and entertaining puzzles, together with all the most noted tricks of modern performers.

The third rule concerns the center of gravity. By reference to the fig. (49), a vertical line will be perceived, drawn through the center of the figure. Whenever the body is at...

Procure a small round box, about one inch deep, to which fit accurately a quarter or cent: line the box with any dark paper (crimson, for instance), and paste some of it on one...

Lay sixteen cards on the table, in four divisions, four cards in each, with their faces upwards. You then state that you will leave the room, and, on your return, will name any...

This is a most capital trick, but it requires a confederate's aid. Place three silver spoons crosswise on a table, request any person to touch one, and assure him you will find...

Lay the rings on one another, and they will all appear to be separate and distinct: D D should be the uppermost rings, then B, then A, and then C. Hand round D for inspection an...

As in the last trick, cast a glance at the bottom card, say the ace of spades. Lay out the pack in as many heaps as you like, noting where that one is laid which contains that b...

10.--Place your left hand upon the throat of a cat, and with the middle finger and the thumb, press slightly the bones of the animal's shoulders; then, if the right hand be gent...

Take the same piece of string as in the last trick, hold your left hand with the palm uppermost, and hang the string over the palm. Spread all the fingers, and with the right ha...

This _self-upholding_ property constitutes the wonder and puzzle of the instrument, and many explanations have been attempted. Some ascribe it to atmospheric influence; others t...

If a glass vessel, containing water, in which a couple of fish are put be placed under the receiver, upon exhausting the air, the fish will be unable to keep at the bottom of th...

The method of employing this arrangement of lenses for microscopic purposes is as follows: Having darkened the room, and by means of the mirror reflected the sun's rays on the g...

Between the phantasmagoria and the magic lantern there is this difference; in common magic lanterns the figures are painted on transparent glass, consequently the image on the s...

Put a teaspoonful of sulphate of soda into a cup, and dissolve it in hot water; pour a little cabbage blue into the solution, and put a portion into two glasses, connecting them...

Rub together in a _warm_ mortar, three parts of powdered niter, two of dry carbonate of potash, and one of flour of brimstone; place a small quantity of the mixture in an iron l...

Within the musical lines place the three keys, and on the outer circle the figures to denote time. Then get a ruled paper, and place one of the keys (suppose _ge-re-sol_) agains...

Take the solid mixture of the solutions of muriate of lime and carbonate of potash, pour upon it a very little nitric acid, and the solid opaque mass will be changed to a transp...

A countrywoman carried eggs to a garrison, where she had three guards to pass, sold to the first guard half the number she had, and half an egg more; to the second, the half of...

Take as many nines as there are figures in the smallest number, and subtract that sum from the number of nines. Let another person add the difference to the largest number, and...

Take a smooth cylindrical piece of metal, about one inch and a half in diameter, and eight inches long; wrap very closely round it a piece of clean writing paper, then hold the...

For this trick, prepare two cards like the accompanying engraving; and have a common ace and five of diamonds. Hold down the five of diamonds and the two prepared cards, as show...

1. To multiply this number by itself 36 2. So take 1 from the number thought of 5 3. To multiply this by itself 25 4. To tell you the difference between this product and the for...

Sounds are propagated on all bodies much after the manner that waves are in water, with a velocity of 1,142 feet in a second. Sounds in liquids and in solids are more rapid than...

In a family consisting of 8 young people, it was agreed that 3 at a time should visit the Crystal Palace, and that the visit should be repeated each day as long as a different t...

The early mathematicians, in their attempts to solve this problem, generally proceeded on the following plan. If we draw a square exterior to a circle, that is, touching the squ...

The two lines above were affixed to the communion table of a small church in Wales, and continued to puzzle the learned congregation for several centuries, but at length the ins...

The puzzle consists in releasing the ring; to effect which, you have only to reverse the former process, by passing the loop through the holes D, C, B, and A, in the manner befo...

All this should be done either while you are out of the room, or your back is turned; upon your turning round, you take the cards which have been left; your object being to coun...

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That there has been "Jugglery" in all ages of the world, the pages of history abundantly prove. The ancient religions of the heathen were mixed up with an extensive system of le...

Being a Complete Hand-Book of Parlor Magic, containing over One Thousand Optical, Chemical, Mechanical, Magnetical, and Magical Experiments, Amusing Transmutations, Astonishing...

OPTICAL, CHEMICAL, MECHANICAL, MAGNETICAL, AND MAGICAL EXPERIMENTS, AMUSING TRANSMUTATIONS, ASTONISHING SLEIGHTS AND SUBTLETIES, CELEBRATED CARD DECEPTIONS, INGENIOUS TRICKS WIT...