368 Observations on an 
dered asa general explanation of reciprocat- 
ing springs. This change of opinion was 
suggested by the caprices of the well; which 
were too many and too singular to be 
ascribed to the uniform operations of a single. 
siphon, as we have seen already; and the 
accidental combination of several siphons in 
one fountain, is a conjecture too improbable 
in itself to demand a serious discussion. My 
suspicions respecting the accuracy of the 
principle were not a little increased, by the 
following descriptions of two reciprocating 
fountains. Weeding Well in Derbyshire, 
appears to be more fickle and uncertain in 
its reciprocations, than the well at Giggles- 
wick. Dr. Plot describes this -remarkable 
fountain, at page 48 of his history of Staf- 
fordshire, where he reports it to be very un- 
certain in its motions, ebbing and flowing 
sometimes thrice in an hour, and at other 
times not oftener than once in a month: he 
also quotes the following character of it, to 
the same import, from a Latin poem by 
Mr. Hobbs. 
“ Fons hic temporibus nec tollitur (ut Mare) certis 5 
4¢ Mstibus his nullam prefigit Ephemeris horam.” 
The following account of a reciprocating 
fountain is extracted from an article in the 
second volume of Lowthorp’s abridgement, 
7 1 
