for the ace of spades its proper duty; or we may have a pack of two suits, three suits, as we think fit. We can also arrive at the same ends by procuring several packs of cards and then sorting them; and perhaps the last thing a novice would think of is, that you should possess twenty aces of spades in one pack! but if you have twenty packs, and then sort them, all difficulty on this score vanishes. But we are digressing. When you begin the trick of Vital Cards, you must possess a pack of two suits, bottomed with an odd one. Cut the cards; offer one half to the company to choose one. With your divining-rod, it is evidently certain that you can tell what card they have. Repeat the same for another. The chosen cards being known, request that they be put again in the pack, anywhere,' 'top,' 'bottom,' or 'centre.' Now put the pack into the case A, exclaiming, Name your cards and they shall walk out!' The nine of diamonds and the king of clubs. Presto!-out they march.

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Before you exhibit this excellent illusion, you wind up the apparatus' by first closing the trigger in the lid (Fig. 5 represents the inside of the lid and sliding trigger) over the aperture in connection with the pillar, then fill the tube or pillar with fine sifted sand; now put on the cardcase, and finally two duplicate cards of those you intend to be vital,' on the weighted thread, in

between the bars z and x; let the weight rest on the sand. When the cards are to rise, you have only to slide the trigger as you move the apparatus from your table to a position that all may

FIG. 5.

see.' The sand falls gradually, and with it the weight. Innocently the cards rise amid clapping of hands and huzzas, Do it again!' Encore!'but which can readily be made to subside by handing round wine and cake. When you have private reasons to object to an encore in conjuring, as in singing, or playing an air (and, between you and me, we all know pretty well when this will happen), be particular to make the waiter arrive with coffee and ices; the 'encores ' will then turn upon them and relieve you.

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8. Electrical Experiment.

Take 100 common iron beads, and string them on a copper wire (wound with silk thread) in such a manner that they do not touch each other, say the thirty-second part of an inch apart; hang the wire thus formed in a convenient position, and you will find that the moment you touch the ends of the wire with the conductors of a galvanic or electric battery, the whole beads will contract; separate the wire from the conductors, and they will fall to their first position. This experiment will be found both amusing and instructive to repeat often. Here we have a specimen of animal electro-magnetism, only that the animal has, instead of our one string and 100 beads, many hundreds of strings (fibres) and millions of beads (globules), and that instead of the globules being strung on a wire, they are incased in hollow tubes (fibres), and connected with spinal flexible electric conductors (nerves).

In this wonderful experiment the copper wire is wound round with silk thread, in order to insulate the iron beads from electric contact with the copper. The rationale of the experiment is this:- When iron is placed in situ at right angles to a stream of electricity, the iron becomes magnetic; in the above case, each bead assumes for the instant the properties of a magnet, and hence they attract each other. The common

THE RAINBOW FIRE-CLOUD.

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'steel beads,' when not of too good quality, will answer for this very well; if, however, the steel is of very good quality, each bead remains for some time permanently magnetised.

9. The Rainbow Fire-Cloud.

To perform this interesting experiment it is necessary to have a strong thick globe of brass or iron, capable of holding about half a pint of liquid. About two inches apart are made two apertures in the globe; into one is fixed a small fountain jet with a tap to turn at will; the other aperture is used for putting certain liquids into the interior, and when not in use must be screwed up perfectly tight. Thus constructed, the apparatus represents a model steam-boiler-the manhole to put the water in, the jet to blow the steam off when the water boils. Now for the cloud. When spirit of wine is burned in contact with certain substances, the flame is coloured green, red, yellow, blue, according to the material used. For the rainbow cloud we take four ounces of spirit, one drachm each of nitrate of copper, nitrate of strontian, nitrate of baryta, and chloride of copper. These salts will colour the flame in the above order. Having well mixed the chemicals with the spirit, it is put into the boiler, and the entrance screwed up perfectly vapour-proof. The boiler is now set upon a

retort stand, and a spirit-lamp placed underneath it. By means of the jet-tap it is easy to discover when the spirit boils; as soon as this takes place the steam is shut off, and the heat continued for five or six minutes. The jet-tap being now turned on, the whole of the spirit blows out of the boiler with considerable force, and assumes the shape of a cloud, which is formed as the spirit condenses in the air; much in the same way as steam does, as it puffs from the 'iron horse.' Need it be said that the cloud of spirit is combustible, and that, when ignited, it becomes a fairy rainbow fire-cloud? This experiment is adapted for a chemical lecture-room only.

Simple as this game may appear to be to those of 'riper years,' to our little 'willing workmen' it will prove a source of fun and enjoyment. It is played as follows:-One of the party-perhaps 'a fond parent' or 'a sister dear '-is 'Foreman;' and having engaged from four to a dozen or more 'willing workmen,' seats them at the work-table. Of course all are expected to work. So one must 'point a pencil,' another 'write,' another mend a pen,' another thread a needle,' another make spills,' or in fact undertake such employment as is suited to the capacity or talent of each. All

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