The trick depends for success upon a carefully devised and concealed mechanism. The balance beam is devoid of any preparation, but the mechanism is cleverly concealed in the column, and motion is imparted to the beam by means of a shaft and bevel gears. The hole in the beam is not perfectly round; it is slightly oval, but not enough so to be easily seen by a casual glance. The pin is also oval, instead of round, and it is made to fit tightly. It will be seen that, when this pin is rocked or tilted, the beam is moved, carrying one scale pan up and the other down. The top of the column is of considerable size, and one side of it is cut away to admit of a bevel gear, which also has an oval hole the same as the beam. When the balance is put together and the beam is placed in position, the oval pin passes through the bevel gear and the beam, forming a horizontal shaft. This vertical wheel meshes with a horizontal gear wheel, which is also secured in the head of the pedestal. A shaft runs through it to the space below the floor, where it terminates in a lever secured at right angles. The magician’s assistant, under the stage, grasps the lever, and, pulling it back and forth, transmits a seesaw motion to the beam through the medium of the shaft, the two bevel gears, and the oval pin. The trick depends very largely for success upon the apparent willingness of the prestidigitateur to allow all parts of the apparatus to be examined, and, as the gear wheels are very cleverly concealed, there is almost no chance of the trick being discovered. INDEX. PAGE Bags, trick, 98 Balance illusion, 143 Balancing tricks, 117 Bandage test, 86 Blindfolded juggler, 121 Blotter trick, 17 Bottle, miraculous, 130 Cabinet test, 108 Cabinet, the trick, 109 Card balancing, 119 Carpet, slitted, 29 Chair and net test, 108 Chalk, writing on, 60 Chalks, writing with colored, 36 Confederates, 107 Cricket, card, 139 Cuff, leather, 73 Cupid lighter than a butterfly, 143 Davenport tie, 88 Double slate, 32-41 Eddy Brothers, séances, 101 Egg glass, use of, 55 Eggs, spinning, 118 Fay’s séances, 103 Finger, prepared, 19 Flap, false, 21-38