The Great Art of Light and Shadow

22. A magnetic clock, in which a small Lizard running up and down shows the hours by natural motion. 695
23. How a Dove flying through the air shows the hours. 696
24. On Sympathetic, Botanical, and Zoological clocks. ibid. original: "ibid."; short for ibidem, meaning "in the same place."
25. On rotating clocks. 697
Supplement to Mechanical Clocks. ibid.
Technical Invention (Techmaſma) 1: How to construct a Hydraulic clock that shows the hours day and night via a floating ball of water. 698
2. A Water clock that shows the hours on an external index. 699
3. How to construct a Sympathetic-magnetic clock. 702

PART II.

Para-static Magic, or concerning the wondrous representations of things through Light and Shadow. Para-static: From the Greek 'parastasis' (a representation or display); here referring to the art of creating visual illusions or projections.

CHAPTER I. On representations of the air. 703

Display 1: Of Nature, or concerning the Fata Morgana original: "Morgana Rheginarum" in the Strait of Messina. 704 The Strait of Messina, between Sicily and Calabria, was famous for this complex mirage that makes distant objects appear transformed or elongated.
2. Artificial display of aerial ghosts. 706

CAP. II. On the industry of Nature as a painter, who forms everything in human offspring, animals, plants, and stones. 707

Miracles of Nature the painter in stones and plants. 708

CAP. III. On the fortuitous and accidental representation of things, and how this may be induced into things by art? 710

Display 1: Optical. To transform cliffs and gardens into any shape. 711
2. Scenographic. So that one image is rendered fivefold. 712

CAP. IV. Representation through the admission of visual forms into a dark place. 713 This refers to the principles of the Camera Obscura.

3. Light-shadows, by which various likenesses of things are displayed in the dark. ibid.
4. Scenic, or concerning stage apparatus and artificially made lights. 714
5. On various skillful uses of colors and wondrous mixtures. ibid.
Method of painting paper in the Turkish style. ibid. This likely refers to 'ebru' or paper marbling, which was considered a "Turkish" art in the 17th century.
Another method much more secret than the first. 715

CHAPTER V. On Anaclastic Representation, or on the display of things through refracted rays in water and glass bodies. 716 Anaclastic: The study of refracted light, specifically how it behaves when passing through different mediums like water or lenses.

VI. Whereby admirable spectacles of things are displayed under water, through glass spheres and many-sided glass. ibid.

Experiment 1: To arrange an image by that art so that, seen from the same point, it gradually fades into nothing, and from nothing grows again into a perfect image. ibid.
2. So that images suddenly appear and disappear. ibid.
3. To display the forms of things through glass spheres or glass vials. 717
4. To display wondrous spectacles through glass prisms. ibid.
5. So that you may see a room decorated with every kind of tapestry. 719
The Author’s Judgment (Diacriſis). Whether, according to Anaxilaus, Albertus, and Porta, houses full of serpents and other animals can be represented. ibid. Kircher cites Giambattista della Porta, a renowned Neapolitan polymath known for his work on natural magic and optics.
6. To display a room full of figures of grapes, fruits, animals, and serpents. 721

CHAPTER VII. On Pyro-parastasis, or concerning the display of Fiery spectacles. ibid.

Experiment 1: On the friction of fire. ibid.
Whether a stone can be made that sparks a flame with spit alone, and burns under water? 722
Whether an inextinguishable fire can be given? ibid.
Pyro-parastatic Experiments 1: To carry a light under water. 723
2. Linen thread and incombustible paper. ibid. An early reference to materials treated to resist fire, or perhaps asbestos.
3. On the wondrous power of Camphor. ibid.
4. To display a flying Dragon in the air. 723. Wherein also [the author discusses] the Eagle of Regiomontanus and the Dove of Archytas. 725 Regiomontanus and Archytas were historical figures legendary for creating early mechanical automatons.
5. To display a fiery rain, or a fiery fountain. ibid.

CHAPTER VIII. On Dioptrics, or on All-seeing glasses, telescopes, and their various forms and effects. 726. Dioptrics: The branch of optics dealing with the refraction of light through lenses.

Likewise on the Matter and form of glass, on Lenses, and their placement and effects. ibid.
Practice (Pragmatia) 1: How the forms of things transmitted into a dark place can be forced into an upright position? 727

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