560 PSYCHOLOGY OF PRESTIDIGITATION. 



The meaus employed to produce positive illusions is the making use 

 of feiut or pretense. 



The feigning of an action is the mere outline of the action. A feint 

 is made of taking something from the table; the hand is extended 

 toward the table as if to remove the object. A feint is made of throwing 

 an orange into the air, when in reality it is still retained in the hand. 

 Feigning an action consists in performing only the first part of a well 

 known and exj^ressive action, and the end is con(;ealed; the hand is 

 hidden, for example, behind a table, a screen, or behind the body dur- 

 ing this second part of the act, which must be executed with dexterity. 

 The S])ectator not anticipating anything of the sort, haviug seen the 

 first part of the action completed, but not the second, although he is 

 not aware of it, believes the oi)eration to be correctly and completely 

 executed. The psychologist is not at a loss to explain the mechanism 

 of these operations, which rests upon the laws of habit or the laws of 

 association of ideas. When one of two actions or two perceptions, 

 which as a rule follow one another, presents itself to oiu- eyes, our mmd 

 is so constructed that the presence of the one act, or the one perception, 

 irresistibly suggests the other. From the time we perceive the first 

 act we suppose the second, because it is the logical consequence, or 

 simply the habitual accompaniment. We do more than suppose it; we 

 represent it so vividly to ourselves we believe we see it. 



These explanations are more directly applicable to sleight of hand, 

 which is the basis of prestidigitation. Sleight of hand consists in com- 

 pletely concealing an object in a sudden and brusque manner before 

 the astonished gaze of the lookers on and in giving the idea that it was 

 suddenly transferred to a certain place, when in reality it has not been 

 removed. The prestidigitator takes an object in his right hand, a piece 

 of cork, an egg, a piece of money, it matters not what, provided it can 

 be easily handled. He holds the object up to view and then makes a 

 pretense of slipping it into his left hand, and he imitates the action so 

 cleverly that everyone jiresent is persuaded that it is no longer in his 

 right hand, but re[)osing in his left. Not only are they persuaded that 

 he has made the exchange, but they fully believe that they saw him do 

 it, and more than one will be willing to vouch for tlie truth of it on the 

 testimony of their eyes. The illusion for those who do not know how 

 it is done and have not attempted to analyze it is absolutely irresist- 

 ible. It misleads not only children and ignoramuses, but grown men 

 and renowned scholars. I myself have kno",vn men accustomed to 

 scientific observation comi)letely duped by tliese tricks. The savages, 

 as Eobert Houdin relates, do not escape these illusions any more than 

 the civilized inhabitants of the globe, and they explain them to them- 

 selves in attributing to the prestidigitator a .supernatural power. Even 

 animals, we may add, are sensible of these illusions. I have frequently 

 experimented upon dogs by juggling away sugar plums, which excites 

 their interest sufficiently to make them attentive to the tricks. 



