Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

What color is this? Black. What is the color? Blue. Tell me the color? Green. Has it a color? White. Any color? Orange, yellow. Name the color? Brown. Please name the color? Red. These have only to be learned by two persons in combination, when they will be able to tell the color of any article. Should the exhibitor have an article of a mixed color, say, mauve, he first asks the question having red for the answer; and then, before the reply can be given, again puts the query for blue. The clairvoyant thereby knowing it is a mixture of red and blue, he is able to know that mauve is the answer required. Again, in asking the nature of a stone set in a jewel the question may be thus arranged: What is the stone? Topaz. What stone is it? Jet. Tell me the stone? Emerald. Name the stone? Diamond. Do you know the stone? Cornelian. Any stone? Amethyst. And so on ad infinitum. In ascertaining the nature of a piece of jewelry the questions may be put thus: What is the metal? Gold. What metal is it? Brass. What metal? Silver. Tell me the metal? Copper. Name the metal? Iron; steel. Please name the metal? Bronze. Can you tell me the metal? Tin. The following questions, having replies for the usual articles found upon persons assembled to witness a performance, may easily be learned by a person gifted with a good memory, or by a person with an ordinary memory by repeated application: