1819.] Scientific Intelligence. 309 



" When one set of parallel planes crosses another, are both sets 

 to be called strata, or neither, or only one of them ? If one only, 

 by what rule are we to be guided in distinguishing the real from 

 the counterfeit ? 



" Must the beds be so arranged as to convey to the observer 

 the idea of deposition alternately suspended and renewed ? If 

 this is not necessary, how is the parallelism derived from strati- 

 fication to be distinguished from parallelism resulting from other 

 causes ? and of what use is it to know whether a substance is 

 stratified or not ? If it is necessary, where two observers have 

 imbibed contrary impressions, how shall we determine which of 

 the two is right ? 



" Let him who can answer these questions rest assured that 

 he has a distinct idea of stratification." 



(To be continued.) 



Article XII. 



SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE, AND NOTICES OF SUBJECTS 

 CONNECTED WITH SCIENCE. 



I. Death of Mr. Watt. 



James Watt, Esq. the celebrated improver of the steam-engine, 

 died at his house at Heathfield, near Birmingham, on Aug. 25, 

 in the 84th year of his age. He had complained of indisposition 

 during his usual summer visit to London. This was attributed 

 to the effects of an inveterate cough, but he did not lay aside 

 his intention of making an excursion to Scotland. Some time 

 after, he was seized with an affection of the liver, from which he 

 partly recovered ; but the nausea and indigestion could not be 

 wholly removed ; and nature at his advanced age proved unequal 

 to the struggle. He himself seems to have been aware from the 

 first of the fatal tendency of his complaints ; but he looked to 

 the event with calm tranquillity, and retained possession of his 

 faculties to within a few hours of his death. 



We trust to have it in our power very soon to lay a biographi- 

 cal account of this great ornament of our age before our readers. 

 In the meanwhile, we shall close the present article with the 

 following paragraph, copied from the Birmingham Gazette of 

 Aug. 30, 1819: 



" By the death of this truly great man our country is deprived 

 of one of its most illustrious ornaments. Mr. Watt may justly 

 be placed at the very head of those philosophers who have 

 improved the condition of mankind by the application of science 

 to the practical purposes of life. His steam-engine is probably 

 the most perfect production of physical and mechanical skill 



