The Enchanted Bottle

Fill a glass bottle with water to the beginning of the neck; leave

the neck empty, and cork it. Suspend this bottle opposite a concave

mirror, and beyond its focus, that it may appear reversed. Place

yourself still further distant from the bottle; and instead of the

water appearing, as it really is, at the bottom of the bottle, the

bottom will be empty, and the water seen at the top.



If the bottle be suspended with the neck downwards, it will be

reflected in its natural position, and the water at the bottom,

although in reality it is inverted, and fills the neck; leaving the

bottom vacant. While the bottle is in this position, uncork it, and

let the water run gradually out: it will appear, that while the real

bottle is emptying, the reflected one is filling. Care must be taken

that the bottle is not more than half or three parts full, and that no

other liquid is used but water, as in either of these cases the

illusion ceases.