A neat alcohol lamp may be made of an old ink or muscilage bottle.  Insert a wick in a piece of the glass tubing and put this through a hole bored in a cork and the lamp is ready to burn alcohol or kerosene.  Alcohol is cleaner to use as a fuel.  Fill the globe about two-thirds full of water or other liquid and apply the heat below as shown.  The distilled liquid will collect in the test tube.  —­Contributed by Clarence D. Luther, Ironwood, Mich.

** Old-Time Magic

** Balancing Forks on a Pin Head [427]

Two, three and four common table forks can be made to balance on a pin head as follows:  Procure an empty bottle and insert a cork in the neck.  Stick a pin in the center of this cork so that the end will be about 1-1/2 in. above the tap.  Procure another cork about 1 in. in diameter by 1-3/4 in. long.  The forks are now stuck into the latter cork at equal distances apart, each having the same angle from the cork.  A long needle with a good sharp point is run through the cork with the forks and 1/2 in. of the needle end allowed to project through the lower end.

The point of the needle now may be placed on the pin head.  The forks will balance and if given a slight push they will appear to dance.  Different angles of the forks will produce various feats of balancing.  —­Contributed by O. E. Tronnes, Wilmette, Ill.

[Illustration:  Balanced Spoons]

** The Buttoned Cord [427]

Cut a piece of heavy paper in the shape shown in Fig. 1 and make two cuts down the center and a slit as long as the two cuts are wide at a point about 1 in. below them.  A string is put through the slit, the long cuts and back through the slit and then a

[Illustration:  Removing the String]

button is fastened to each end.  The small slit should not be so large as the buttons.  The trick is to remove the string.  The solution is quite simple.  Fold the paper in the middle and the part between the long cuts will form a loop.  Bend this loop down and pass it through the small slit.  Turn the paper around and it will appear as shown in Fig. 2.  One of the buttons may now be drawn through and the paper restored to its original shape.

** Experiment with an Incandescent Lamp [427]

When rubbing briskly an ordinary incandescent lamp on a piece of cloth and at the same time slightly revolving it, a luminous effect is produced similar to an X-ray tube.  The room must be dark and the lamp perfectly dry to obtain good results.  It appears that the inner surface of the globe becomes charged, probably by induction, and will sometimes hold the filament as shown in the sketch.  —­Contributed by E. W. Davis, Chicago.

[Illustration:  Lamp]

** How to Make a Small Motor [428]

The accompanying sketch shows how to make a small motor to run on a battery of three or four dry cells and

[Illustration:  Details of Small Electric Motor]