This is a very simple trick, which may cause much mystification. There must be two initiated ones. The magician sends his partner out of the room, and announces that any one of the company may choose an object in the room, which his partner will recognize as soon as asked. Suppose a book on the table is chosen. The partner is called in. Magician points with his wand to a variety of objects, and finally to his shoe, a black ribbon, or any other black thing, immediately before indicating the chosen book. The magician may make his list of questions long or short, as he thinks best. If the tests are repeated many times, it varies the game to substitute the white or red art, wherein the object mentioned last before the right one is white or red, instead of black.

Of much the same order of trick is"galoo,"which seems quite as mysterious as the"black art."One leaves the room, the partner remaining in it, and selecting a person to be guessed. She then points to one and another, at each person saying,"Galoo?"and the child in the hall answering"No,"till the right one is reached. The secret lies in the fact that the one who spoke last before the room was left is the one chosen. If no one speaks, the partner is the one.