The large ring is 3 inches in diameter, and the bar is 4 inches long. The object is to remove the large ring by pushing it through the smaller ones. The movements are explained by means of the figures and letters written in the diagram. The ring of the bar is called B, the ring of the first loop is 1, that of the second loop is 2, and so on.

The large ring is folded by moving D upwards, so that it falls on C. Then A is pushed from the left to the right through 1, moved over B (that is, B is pushed through between the two wires), and drawn back through 1. Then the ring is folded the other way and pushed through 2 and 1, over B, back through 1, over 1 and B, and back through 2. Then all through 3. Then through 1, over B, back through 1; folded the other way; all through 2; then through 1, over B, and back; and the ring is off.

The ring is put on thus: Fold it, push it half length through 1, over B, back through 1; fold; all through 2; through 1, over B, back; fold all through 3; through 2, over B and 1, through 1, over B, back through 1 and 2, through 1, over B, back, and it is on.

When there is a fourth loop, then the ring is removed thus: Push it through 1, over B, back, fold, through 2 and 1, over B, back over 1 and B, back through 2, through 3 and 2, over B and 1, through 1, over B, back through 1 and 2, through 1, over B, back, over 2 and 1 and B, back through 3, all through 4, through 2, over B and 1, through 1, over B, back through 1 and 2, through 1, over B, back, fold, all through 3, through 1, over B, back, fold, all through 2, through 1, over B, back, off.

The ring is placed on the fourth loop thus: Fold it, push it half-way through 1, over B, back, fold, all through 2, through 1, over B, back, fold, all through 3, through 2, over B and 1, through 1, over B, back through 1 and 2, through 1, over B, back, fold, all through 4, through 3, over B and 1, through 1, over B, back, over 2, through 2 and 1, over B, back, over 1 and B, back through 2 and 3, through 2, over B and 1, through 1, over B, back through 1 and 2, through 1, over B, back, open the ring.

IV.—Aërial Rings.

Fig. 2.
Fig. 1.Fig. 3.

A few very pretty experiments can be made with smoke rings, and as the apparatus is cheap and easily procurable it may be worth while to say a few words about them. The best arrangement for producing satisfactory results is that shown in [Fig. 1], where a glass jar with a tap at the base is resting on a stand. Into the jar and through the cork a small tube is fixed and the whole sealed down, so that all air passing into the jar must come through the tube. The finer the tube the better; the material is of no consequence—it may be of metal, glass, or clay—so long as the passage down it is kept clear. To it, as shown in the [cut], a holder is fixed, to which the candle or what not is attached, so that the centre of the tube points fairly into the smoke. The jar is filled with water, the cork fixed down tightly, and the candle lighted. The tap is then turned, and as the water runs out it sucks down the smoke, and the rings will be seen rising through the water and forming on its surface, as shown in [Fig. 2]. These rings will soon disappear and gradually merge into a sort of collar, shown in [Fig. 3], where the central bar is the tube leading up to the source of smoke.

Fig. 4.