Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

The secret of this ingenious trick lies mainly in the construction of the saucepan, which consists of four parts, designated in the diagram (Fig. 150) by the letters a, b, c, and d; a is the lid, which has no speciality, save that the rim round it is rather deeper than usual; b is a shallow tray or lining, of the same depth as the lid, fitting easily within the top of the saucepan; a, on the contrary, fits tightly within b; c is the body of the saucepan, and has no speciality; d is an outer sheet or covering, loosely fitting the lower part of the saucepan, and, like it, is japanned plain black, the upper part and lid being generally of an ornamental pattern. (For our own part, we much prefer either plain black or polished tin throughout, as savouring less of mechanism or preparation.) The presence or absence of d does not alter the general appearance of the saucepan, and cannot, therefore, be detected by the eye. It should be mentioned that d is so made, that between its bottom and the bottom of the saucepan is a space of about half an inch in depth, and in this space, before the apparatus is brought forward, is placed a substitute handkerchief, sprinkled with a few drops of spirits of wine or eau de Cologne, to render it more inflammable; within the saucepan is placed a small live rabbit, after which b is put in its place, and pressed down.