PSYCHOLOGY OF PRESTIDIGITATION. 561 



The art of sleight of hand is not dependent upon caimce, but is gov- 

 erned by fixed laws known for more than a hundred years, and which 

 can no longer be modified. Xowadays one learns to juggle Just as 

 to dance or to play upon the piano. The manipulation of the fingers 

 is most complicated, and to be able to i)erform these feats without the 

 assistance of a box, or a string, with only one's own dexterity to aid, 

 is the highest aim of the prestidigitator. It is not only necessary to 

 practice before the looking glass for days or weeks, it re<iuires years to 

 become an expert in this art. We do not consider it as straying from 

 our subject in thus giving a rather minute description of this sleight 

 of hand J the illusiojis which are the result are purely psychological. 

 Many people believe the magician conceals the objects he makes use of 

 in his sleeves; this false opinion has been frequently contested, but 

 it is nevertheless tenacious. The truth of the matter is that apart 

 from such experiments as the "vanishing cage," etc., the sleeves are 

 rarely used by professionals. One of the most famous conjurers, 

 Bosco, worked with his arms perfectly bare. 



Almost every operation consists in retaining the object in one hand 

 and making believe it is resting in the palm of the other. 



It is necessary for a prestidigitator to practice a very long time before 

 he becomes an expert in thus retaining objects in his hand. He begins 

 by practicing with small objects, such as nutmegs, dimes, nickels, small 

 corks, and afterwards with more voluminous objects, as billiard balls 

 and eggs. There are different ways of retaining the objects in the 

 palm of the hand with the hand open ; and the professionals distin- 

 guish several different ways of accomplishing this feat. Sometimes 

 the palm of the hand is alone used, and at others the first joints of the 

 fingers. A nutmeg, for instance, can be held between the root of the 

 middle finger and that of the ring finger, and there are many other 

 ways; each' one has his preference. The difficulty appears to be to slip 

 the object supposed to disap])ear to the iilace where it is to beheld. It 

 is held up at first for the inspection of the audience between two fingers, 

 and these fingers should move slowly so as to propel the object into its 

 place of concealment. 



The number of objects that can be held in the palm depends greatly 

 upon circumstances; it varies as the objects are real or imitation, 

 whether they are attached together by a cord, whether they have been 

 juggled, whether the wand or a handkerchief must be held in the hand, 

 or whether the hand nuist be open or be half closed. 



In the trick that is called "hunting the pieces" (la chasse aux 

 pieces), twelve pieces at one time are held in the hand, but the hand 

 is almost closed. A good prestidigitator can hold in his hand at once 

 five 5-franc pieces with the hand hanging loosely at his side in a per- 

 fectly natural position and with which he is able to gesticulate, " couper 

 le jeu," etc. This being granted, we will now give a coniplete descrip- 

 tion of a feat of sleight of hand, chosen from among several varieties. 

 SM 94 36 



