Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

This effect is produced as follows: We will suppose that five eggs are to be produced. One is placed beforehand in the mouth of the assistant, and four more are placed in the pochettes, or tucked under the waistband of the performer, two on each side. Having placed his assistant in position, the performer secretly takes one of these latter into his right hand, and palms it. Patting the assistant on the head with his left hand, he waits until the egg appears between the teeth, and immediately on its appearance, raises his right hand as if to receive it, thus bringing up the palmed egg opposite the mouth, while the egg that is already in the mouth slips back, under cover of the hand, out of sight. The palmed egg is laid on the plate, and the performer, in the act of passing behind his assistant, palms a second egg in his left hand. The same pantomime is again gone through, save that in this case the right hand pats the head, and the left hand is held to the mouth to receive the egg. After four eggs have been produced in this manner, the fifth, which has been all along in the mouth, is produced apparently in like manner, but the performer takes care that in this instance it shall be seen beyond a doubt that the egg really does come from the mouth; which being manifestly the case in this instance, the audience are pretty sure to jump to the conclusion that all were produced in an equally bonâ fide manner.