Hot and Thermal Springs. 357 



Now supposing that this spring originally had the temperature 

 of springs on the limits of perpetual snow, it would, after a sub- 

 terraneous course of 5200 feet, only have suffered an increase 

 of temperature of about 3°.15. 



In Passeyr, 5000 to 6000 feet above the sea, the fresh-water 

 springs, according to Ennemoser''s various observations, have a 

 temperature of 41° to 43^°. However, he found great variations 

 here also. For instance, near Ilittermiihle, at an elevation of 

 5000 feet, rises a copious spring of 40°.l, whilst others 600 to 

 800 feet higher gave 42°.125 to 45°.5. At Hitte, behind Platte, 

 there is a celebrated spring at an elevation of 4000 feet, which 

 shews 41°, and the Goldbrunnen only 38°. 75, whilst other neigh^ 

 bouring springs shew 43^° to 47|°. On mountains of 7000 and 

 8000 feel, the springs have a temperature of 38 J° to 41°, with 

 but few exceptions. 



In several places in Switzerland I found springs, the tempe- 

 ratures of which were also much lower than might have been 

 expected from the surrounding vegetation. Thus the tempera- 

 ture of four springs at the foot of the Great Eiger, near Grift- 

 del wald, which rises almost 9000 feet perpendicularly, was only 

 42j°. 



Von Buch* found a spring near Neufchatel, in the Creux-du- 

 vent, 2073 feet above the Lake of Neufchatel, and 3337 feet 

 above the level of the sea, the temperature of which was 40°. 437, 

 whilst others nearly on the level of the lake, observed in differ- 

 ent seasons and under different circumstances, gave 50° to 50°. 45. 

 He also found-f* that the temperature of the springs on Teneriffe 

 shewed no great variations up to 4000 feet above the sea, and that, 

 in like manner, the temperature of the springs on the northern 

 declivity of the Gran Canaria is 62°.375, up to 2000 feet above 

 the sea. This can certainly not be accounted for in any other 

 way than by supposing that they derive their low temperature 

 from high mountains from which they had descended, and that* 

 in their quick subterranean course, they have preserved an equal 

 temperature at heights differing often by several thousand feet. 



Ualton \ observed the temperature of a copious spring on 



* Gilbert's Annalen. vol. xxiv. p. 50. 



i" I'oggendorff's Annalen. vol. xii. p. 413. 



X Meteorological Essajs, or Gilbert's AnnaL vol. xxiv. p. 60. 



VOL. XX. NO. XL. APRIL 1836. A ft 



