(_Palingenesia._)
A plain white glass decanter is taken up and placed on a table, when it
is filled with water. It is pretended that this fluid is enchanted,
since, after a flower has been selected from a bouquet and burnt by the
spectator himself, its exact image is presented in the bottle.
[Illustration: Fig. 139.]
[Illustration: Fig. 140.]
_Explanation._—Behind a partition, A B (Fig. 140), place a concave
mirror E F, ten inches diameter, and at a distance three-fourths from
its centre, somewhat inclined. In the partition cut a square or circular
opening, about eight inches wide, directly opposite the mirror. Behind
have a light to illuminate any object at C, without shining on the
mirror or being visible at the opening. Behind the aperture and beneath
it place inverted the object of which a phantom is to appear.
Before the partition, just under the hole, set a bouquet-holder or
flowerpot (or, at the opening, as in this case, the bottle of water),
that the image may seem to be standing in it.
All extraneous light must be kept from the mirror by blackening the
surfaces around it.
The spectator will see the image so real that he will be apt to attempt
to pluck it, if a flower and a flowerpot is substituted for the bottle.
The different flowers of a bouquet have counterparts set on the
circumference of a disc, of which the edge comes to the proper point to
present one of them to the mirror.
The magician, on seeing a certain flower taken to be destroyed, has
ample time to set the disc in motion and place the duplicate in
position.
[Illustration]