Star.
London, England, 1824-09-24 00:00:00

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A SPLEEN OSSIFIED.
The spleen of a man has been lately exhibited which
was entirely ossified. This man lived to be sixty years
old, and then died of a fall. He was remarkably gay,
though his spleen was entirely ossified; this would seem
to contradict the common received opinion, that the
spleen was necessary to •purify the blood, and in that
sense contributes to render people py. It weighed an
ounce and a half.—Medical Adviser.

HAIL AVERTED.
A Signor Thollard has lately been occupied, accord-
ing to the Italian Journals, in making eAperienents upon
the Paragrandine, a new invention of Signor Apostolic,
the object of which is to avert hail storms, as electrical
conductors serve to obviate danger from lightning. The
instrument is stated to be composed of metallic points
and straw ropes, bound together with hempen threads.
The result of several trials is given, with a general re-
pert•in its favour.

GREEK MANUSCRIPT&
There has been found in Greece, in digging in the
ruins of a temple dedicated to Saturn, a great number
of manuscripts that date from •ery remote periods. In
Macedonia, we are assured, has been discovered the
manuscript of the famous Iliad, inclosed in a cedar box,
with plates of gold, which belonged to Alexander the
Great !--News of Literature, 10.

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NEW HYDRAULIC ENGINE.
A machine, constructed upon principles entirely new,
and possessing the power of raising water, or of forcing
Air down in water, has, it is announced, been invented
by a Gentleman in the country, of the name of Allan.
lie has styled it the " Seismatic Machine." It sur-
passes, for ease in working, all other machines for raising
water 'at present in use—not excepting Archimedes'
screw, as its motion is vibratory, like the pendulum
of a cluck. '

METHOD OF MAKING TIN RESEMBLE StLVER.
Melt four mulcts of fine plate brass, add to it four of
soft fine clear tin; when it is in fusion add four ounces
of bismuth and four of regulus of antimony. Let this
;Liz together, and pour it into an ingot, then beat it to
powder ; grind it with rosin, a little salmoniac, and tur-
pentine ; form it into balls, and let them dry in the air,
and when you. would use them, beat them fine; strew
the powder thereof upon the melted tin; stir it well
together, and continue putting the powdered balls upon
the melted tin, until you perceive it white and hard
enough ; of this do you may draw wire for hilts of
swords, or make buttons ; it will always retain its silver
colour.—Mechanic's Magazine.

FOSSILS.
The labnurers engaged in excavating the bed of
Wallasey Pool, 14 the purpose of snaking a wet dock,
have lately discovered ievezal fine stags' horns, in the
must peifect state of preservation, which is surprising,
when we consider the length of time they must neces-
sarily have been buried. We shall forbear to indulge
in conjecture respecting the period when these remains
of former days were deposited in this spot. At that
time it is probable that what is now termed Wallasey
Pool was part of a wood or forest, as in the neighbour-
hood, the remains of large trees are frequently found
at different depths below the surface, and also out of
the ground. These vegetable rem tins are of a very
dark colour; some as black as coal, and so hard, that
the farmers use them as gate posts: The horns were
found nearly thirty feet below the bed of the pool. It
is stated thAt the workmen have also discovered evi-
dent traces• of an ancient road having once existed
twenty or thirty feet below the bed of the Wallasey
Pool.

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