he ends of the
loop over the thumbs of a friend (Fig. 26).

[Illustration]
Fig. 26.

Take hold of the tape with your left forefinger at A and pull it forward
and down; with your right forefinger pull the tape at B, from
underneath, forward and upward, which will cause the two parts to cross
each other. Then with your right forefinger and thumb place the tape B
over the thumb D; move the ring toward D and with your right forefinger
and thumb take the tape at C from underneath and carry it also over the
thumb D. Take hold of the ring and pull it gently, as you slip your left
forefinger out of the loop A, when it will at once be released without
the tape leaving either thumb.

AN EXPERIMENT IN GRAVITY

Give a person two half-crowns and request him to hold them horizontally
between the tips of his thumb and finger of his right hand, the coins
touching each other. Then request him to drop the lower coin in his left
hand and you will tell him which side will come uppermost. First note
which side of the coin is underneath when you place them in position,
for that will be the uppermost side when it reaches his left hand. The
lower coin will turn completely over in the act of falling: nothing can
prevent it. The distance between the hands should be from fourteen to
sixteen inches.

A SCISSORS FEAT

Hold a pair of scissors on the first two joints of your little fingers
with your palms upward, their blades pointing to the floor (Fig. 27).
Then throw the points over toward you, turning your hands at the same
time and bringing your knuckles back to back, the scissors standing out
straight from you (Fig. 28).

[Illustration]
Fig. 27.

[Illustration]
Fig. 28.

I have never seen any one accomplish this simple feat until they learned
the secret. When you throw the scissors over on the palms of your hands,
with their points toward your chest, allow the blades to rest there for
an instant with the tips of your little fingers touching your palms
through the scissors' bows; then bring the backs of your fingers
together with your hands closed and the points of the scissors outward.
The uninitiated, instead of allowing the bows to slip to the points of
the little fingers, hold them tight on the second joints and, of course,
fail.

ANOTHER TRI