Place your left hand upon the throat of the cat, and, with the middle finger and the thumb, press slightly the bones of the animal’s shoulders; then, if the right hand be gently passed along the back, perceptible shocks of electricity will be felt in the left hand. Shocks may also be obtained by touching the tips of the ears after rubbing the back. If the colour of the cat be black, and the experiment be made in a dark room, the electric sparks may be very plainly seen. Very distinct discharges of electricity may also be obtained by touching the tips of the ears, after applying friction to the back; and the same may be obtained from the foot. Placing the cat on your knees, apply your right hand to the back; the left fore paw resting on the palm of your left hand, apply the thumb to the upper side of the paw, so as to extend the claws, and, by this means, bring your fore-finger into contact with one of the bones of the leg, where it joins the paw; when, from the knob or end of this bone, the finger slightly pressing on it, you may feel distinctly successive shocks, similar to those obtained from the ears. It is, perhaps, unnecessary to add, that, in order to this experiment being conveniently performed, the experimenter must be on good terms with the cat. [Illustration] * * * * * Transcriber’s Notes: Obvious punctuation errors repaired. Varied hyphenation was retained. Page x, “Phenakisticope” changed to “Phenakistiscope” and “Stoboscope” changed to “Stroboscope” (The Phenakistiscope or Stroboscope) This same change was also made on page 34 in all-capitals (THE PHENAKISTISCOPE, OR STROBOSCOPE) Page xii, “110” changed to “112” for the entry of “The Mysterious Circles” to match location in text. Page 3, “loose” changed to “lose” (it will lose all) Page 44, the original instructions for tuning a guitar, read (like an inverted Λ) As this would just be a “v” and would not be like a saddle, the instruction was changed to (like an inverted v, Λ) Page 54, “versá” changed to “versâ” (red, and _vice versâ_) Page 60, “widows” changed to “windows” (glasses in druggists’ windows) Page 82, word “a” removed from text. Original read (small a piece of lead) Page 82, “cut” changed to “out” (throwing out luminous) Page 83, word “be” removed from text. Original read (antimony will be become) Page 83, “Duch” changed to “Dutch” (copper, or “Dutch metal,”) Page 98, “FRAME” changed to “FLAME” (COMBUSTION WITHOUT FLAME) Page 100, “fell” changed to “feel” (will feel _warmth_) Page 100, “fully” changed to “full” (cup nearly full of water) Page 111, word “a” added to text (jar with a bladder) Page 111, “amadon” changed to “amadou” (a scrap of amadou) Page 113, “have” changed to “has” (tube passes has) Page 114, “smells” changed to “swells” (the moisture swells the) Page 114, “increase” changed to “increases” (threads, and increases) Page 116, “as so” changed to “so as” (so as to resemble)