The Magician's Own Book, or, the Whole Art of Conjuring / Being a complete hand-book of parlor magic, and containing over one thousand optical, chemical, mechanical, magnetical, and magical experiments, amusing transmutations, astonishing sleights and subtleties, celebrated card deceptions, ingenious tricks with numbers, curious and entertaining puzzles, together with all the most noted tricks of modern performers.

by George Arnold; Frank Cahill

Friends one and all, I pray you show

How you nine stars would so bestow,

Ten rows to form—in each row three—

Tell me, ye wits, how this can be?

34. THE COUNTER PUZZLE.

Place eight counters or coins, as in the diagram; it is then required to lay them in four couples, removing only one at a time, and in each removal passing the one in the hand over two on the table.

35. THE JAPAN SQUARE PUZZLE.

Cut out ten pieces of card or wood of the same sizes and shapes as in the diagram, and then form a square with them.