Effect.—An egg is produced and wrapped in a handkerchief, which is then placed over a chair back. A glass casket is next shown to be empty and a piece of tape tied round same by a member of the audience. The casket is suspended from a stand and covered with a borrowed handkerchief. A Union Jack flag is produced and changes into an egg. The casket is uncovered, and flag seen within. Handkerchief removed from chair back, opened out, and egg has disappeared.

You will require:—A glass casket for handkerchief, double handkerchief with slit in centre of one side, two small flags, one ordinary and one hollow egg (with opening at side), a piece of red tape long enough to go twice round the casket, candle in candlestick, box of matches and a folding brass music stand carrying a frame in which is suspended the casket. The casket has the front lid and two sides of glass, the back and bottom being of wood. A wooden flap is hinged to lower portion of back, and a small silk flag is roughly rolled up and placed behind the flap, which is held up by a small catch operating from back of casket. Casket can now be shown empty amongst the audience without fear of flag or flap being seen. The hollow egg is vested, and the second flag rolled up and placed in matchbox ready for production from flame of candle. The ordinary egg can either be brought on openly or magically produced. I prefer using one of the eggs I have previously produced in the "four eggs at finger tips" trick.

Modus Operandi.—Show the egg and wrap same in the double handkerchief, taking care that the egg is placed in the slit; twist the handkerchief round so as to show shape of the egg, and call attention to the fact that the egg can be seen throughout the performance, and lay same over chair back, egg towards audience. Show casket empty and hand the tape to spectator, asking him to tie same round the casket, the performer holding casket whilst it is being tied. It is now suspended in the frame on stand (two small brass chains with hooks at end being used for this purpose), and covered with borrowed handkerchief. In the act of covering the casket, performer releases the flap which drops down inside the casket, thus releasing the duplicate flag previously placed therein. The candle is now lighted and the flag produced from flame. While calling attention once more to the egg in the handkerchief and to the empty (?) casket, the performer secures the hollow egg from vest and proceeds to vanish the flag by working it into the opening at the side of egg. When the flag is well tucked in, the conjurer, without showing egg, explains what he is about to do—to cause the egg to leave the handkerchief and appear in his hand, and the flag to pass from his hand into the empty casket. Presto! the hands are opened, the egg is shown, and placed in a conspicuous position on the table; the casket is uncovered and handed to spectator to untie the tapes and remove the flag.

The performer now commences to introduce his next trick, seemingly forgetting about the handkerchief which is still hanging over chair back, and of course the usual "smart" gentleman asks, "What about the egg in the handkerchief?" Performer seems flurried, but otherwise takes no notice of the remark, and pretends to be anxious to get on with his next item. The audience insists that the egg is still in the handkerchief, and performer then calls attention to the egg on the table, which he asserts is the one he wrapped up in the handkerchief, and "eggstracted" by magic. The audience do not believe it, so the magician, with seeming reluctance, very gingerly picks up the handkerchief from the chair and shakes same out (the handkerchief, not the chair), and the egg is "found" to have disappeared, proving (?) that the egg seen on table is the identical one which was wrapped up at commencement of trick.

I am indebted to my esteemed brother magicians, Messrs. T. Hayes, W. G. Malvern, and J. Hempstead, for the description of the following original and novel experiments:—