Birds, Beasts, and Fishes
See “Slate Games.”
Bombardment
See “Cannonade.”
Bottle Imps
Obtain from the toy-shop some small enamelled figures that are made partially hollow towards their lower part, place them in a glass jar filled quite full to the brim with water, and carefully close the jar by covering it tightly with a piece of parchment. Now, by alternately placing the hand upon the cover and lifting it off again, the figures are made to descend and ascend in the water. This is caused by the hollowness before mentioned, the cavities in the figures retaining a certain quantity of air, and imparting the requisite buoyancy to them. When the hand is pressed upon the parchment cover of the bottle the water rises, in consequence of the pressure, into the figures. The air so being compressed into less space, renders the imps less buoyant, and they fall; on the pressure being removed they rise again.