coin, and drop the hand, letting it hang loosely by your side.

THE VANISHING TRICK

A word of caution may here be desirable. These "passes" must by no
means be regarded as being themselves tricks, but only as processes to
be used in the performance of tricks. If the operator, after
pretending to pass the coin, say from the right hand to the left, and
showing that it had vanished from the left hand, were to allow his
audience to discover that it had all along remained in his right hand,
they might admire the dexterity with which he had in this instance
deceived their eyes, but they would henceforth guess half the secret
of any trick in which palming was employed. If it is necessary
immediately to reproduce the coin, the performer should do so by
appearing to find it in the hair or whiskers of a spectator, or in any
other place that may suit his purpose, remembering always to indicate
beforehand that it has passed to such a place, thereby diverting the
general attention from himself. As the coin is already in his hand, he
has only to drop it to his finger-tips as the hand reaches the place
he has named, in order, to all appearance, to take it from thence.

The various passes may be employed not only to cause the disappearance
of an article, as above described, but to secretly change it for a
substitute of similar appearance. These exchanges are of continual use
in conjuring; indeed, we may almost say that three parts of its
marvels depends on them. Such an exchange having been made, the
substitute is left in sight of the audience, while the performer,
having thus secretly gained possession of the original, disposes of it
as may be necessary for the purpose of the trick.