ANAMORPHOSES 



135 



perceives the object through the glass ; the image is reflected four time? 

 before reaching his eye, by means of small mirrors concealed in the 

 instrument. 



Convex or concave mirrors distort images in a singular manner, and 

 produce very interesting effects. Anamorphoses constitute particular objects 

 belonging specially to the class of experiments relating to cylindrical mirrors. 

 They are images made according to determined rules, but so distorted that 

 when regarding them fixedly we can only distinguish confused strokes. 

 When they are seen reflected in the curved mirrors, they present, on the 

 contrary, a perfectly regular appearance. Fig. 142 exhibits an Anamorphosis 

 made by a cylindrical mirror. It will be seen that the confused image of 



Fig. 141. A divided telescope. 



the horizontal paper is reflected in the cylindrical mirror, producing the 

 figure of a juggler. It is easy to contrive similar designs one's-self ; and 

 comical mirrors may also be employed which produce particular effects of a 

 no less interesting kind. The next illustration is of a set of figures which in 

 a cylindrical mirror look like the ten of hearts (fig. 143). 



One of the most remarkable applications of mirrors in amusing experi- 

 ments is undoubtedly that of the severed and talking head. A few years back 

 this trick obtained considerable success in Paris and a number of other towns. 

 The spectators beheld a small space set apart, in which was placed a table 

 on three legs ; on this table was a human head, placed in cloth on a dish. 

 The head moved its eyes and spoke ; it evidently belonged to a man whose 

 body was completely hidden. The spectators thought they saw an empty 



