By T. Hayes, Conjurer and Illusionist.

Effect.—Appear with wand in hand, and after usual introductory patter lay wand on table and pick up a piece of white tissue paper—size, say, 6 by 4 inches. Roll this up into a ball and place on the palm of the left hand; then, shaking it to and fro, it gradually assumes the form of an egg. Lay this on the table while you light a candle (ready in candlestick); pick up the egg again and hold it over the candle to harden it. In a minute show the egg and have the same examined. Make a few passes—limited only by the skill of the performer—eventually placing it in the left hand (back to audience) and command it to pass; show empty hand, at the same time point to candle on table, when the audience see the egg balanced on top of same. Take it off and bring forward with candle and show. Replace the candle and pick up a handkerchief. Cover egg with handkerchief and taking hold of egg through same, gather up the four loose ends and give to someone to hold. Take up your pistol and fire at same, and laying down pistol, pick up plate and ask assistant to place the handkerchief on it; then open out handkerchief, and in centre in place of the egg he finds original piece of paper (initialed previously if desired).

Now take piece of paper, and laying down plate and handkerchief, make a fist of left hand and push paper in at top, draw it out at bottom of hand, when it is seen to have changed to a white silk handkerchief. Show this both sides, holding it at two top corners; then roll it up rope fashion, and pulling hands apart, a handkerchief is seen in both hands—one white and one yellow (here you may remark "The white and yolk; simply a question of colour"). Now roll these two together in the hands, and hold in right hand over candle, saying, "I will hard-boil it," and show the egg again. Pass for examination, asking if it is a good one; on reply of "Yes," say "Well, I have my doubts, but we will test it." Throw it in the air two or three times and the egg disappears, you remarking, "I was afraid there might be a chicken in it."

Explanation.—When you pick up piece of paper at first, you take up with it a "skin" egg, neatly folded, with a thin strip of paper round it to prevent it prematurely expanding. It is this that is placed in palm of left hand, and paper strip torn loose. Lay gently on table and light candle, and as you lay down matchbox with right hand (right side to audience), palm egg in left hand from hip pocket or vest. Pick up "skin" egg and hold over candle, presently remarking "It's getting hot"; suddenly place it apparently in the left hand (really crushing it up and finger palming), and show palmed egg in left hand. After sundry "passes" "vanish" to candle. This is worked on same principle as "Card in Candle," or "Card on Ale Bottle," using a half shell (cut lengthwise). When you go to take egg, remove with left hand and place in right, in which is original egg still palmed. The shell fits on this, so only one egg appears. Pick up the candlestick in left hand, and bring it forward to show it quite unprepared, allowing the fÊke to fall forward flat on table.

Replace the candle and pick up the handkerchief. This has an oval wire shape in centre covered by a piece of the same material as the handkerchief—this fits over egg, which presses out handkerchief into proper shape. When you pretend to take hold of the egg through handkerchief, you really seize this—allowing egg to drop into right palm out of sight. Gather up the four ends of the handkerchief with this hand, which adds cover for egg. Let go top (egg?) with left hand and ask assistant to hold handkerchief for you. In handing it to him first take it in your left hand and let your right fall naturally to side, and either "vest" or "profonde" egg. Now take up pistol and fire at egg (?) in handkerchief, and picking up the plate or tray, lay down pistol and ask assistant to lay handkerchief with the egg gently on it. With your other hand open out handkerchief—when he sees roll of paper on same. (This is original piece, palmed in when pretending to place egg in. The wire frame holds it in position.) Let your assistant open out the paper and verify mark (if one was made). Meanwhile, lay down the plate and handkerchief on the table, at the same time palming small fÊke containing white silk handkerchief in left hand. Now take back piece of paper from assistant and thank him; then make left hand into a fist and push the paper in at top till all is in. This pushes out handkerchief from the fÊke into the palm; then secretly remove fÊke on finger, continuing the pushing with another finger (old idea). Now draw out silk handkerchief from bottom of left hand—show it by holding it at the top corners, in front of you—gradually raise right hand and lower left; as you do so, seize the corner of the yellow handkerchief which protrudes through one of waistcoat buttonholes. (I have a small black bead sewn to the corner to make this easy.) As soon as yellow handkerchief is clear, the left hand should have reached buttonhole and now seizes last corner; then a quick turn (ropewise) rolls up the yellow in the white. Pull hands apart gently, retaining end of yellow handkerchief in one hand and the end of white in the other, and let the audience see both, one in each hand. Now roll these up in the hands, "balling" them well, and hold over candle (or a Stodare egg can be used, making all safe). After a minute, show egg, saying, "It's getting hot!"—change from hand to hand, thus changing for real original egg, which you had just before palmed from vest or pocket, and hand for examination. The final vanish is, of course, into the profonde and needs no explanation.