Dissolve equal parts of sulphate of copper and muriate of ammonia in water; write with the solution, and it will give a yellow colour when heated, which will disappear when cold.
Dissolve nitrate of bismuth in water; write with the solution, and the characters will be invisible when dry, but will become legible on immersion in water.
Dissolve, in water, muriate of cobalt, which is of a bluish-green colour, and the solution will be pink; write with it, and the characters will be scarcely visible; but, if gently heated, they will appear in brilliant green, which will disappear as the paper cools.
CHAMELEON LIQUIDS.
Put a small portion of the compound called mineral chameleon into several glasses, pour upon each water at different temperatures, and the contents of each glass will exhibit a different shade of colour. A very hot solution will be of a beautiful green colour; a cold one, a deep purple.
Make a colourless solution of sulphate of copper; add to it a little ammonia, equally colourless, and the mixture will be of an intense blue colour; add to it a little sulphuric acid, and the blue colour will disappear; pour in a little solution of caustic ammonia, and the blue colour will be restored. Thus, may the liquor be thrice changed at pleasure.
THE MAGIC DYES.
Dissolve indigo in diluted sulphuric acid, and add to it an equal quantity of solution of carbonate of potass. If a piece of white cloth be dipped in the mixture, it will be changed to blue; yellow cloth, in the same mixture, may be changed to green; red to purple, and blue litmus paper to red.
Nearly fill a wine-glass with the juice of beet-root, which is of a deep red colour; add a little lime water, and the mixture will be colourless; dip into it a piece of white cloth, dry it rapidly, and in a few hours, the cloth will become red.