PEALE.] THEEMAL SPRINGS OF EUROPE. 333 



southern sloi)es of the Alps, from Mont Blanc to the Enganean Hills, 

 there is a continuous line of springs. Aix is at the intersection of three 

 important axes of disturbance. 



In European Turkey tlie springs are in north and south lines. 



In England the thermal springs, which are few in number and low in 

 temperature, are found in connection with limestones; and Mr. C. E. 

 Batten, who has discussed the cause of the heat in the waters of Bath, 

 concludes that it is due to their coming from a depth of over 3,000 feet.* 



The steppes of Russia are without thermal springs until the Ural 

 Mountains or the Caucasus are approached, being in this respect anal- 

 ogous to our Mississippi Basin, the table lands of South America, and 

 the Siberian plains, which are without even warm springs as far as we 

 know at present. 



The temperatures of the springs in the regions just enumerated appear 

 to have undergone but little change since the times of the Romans, es- 

 pecially at Aix, Mont Dor, Plombi^res, and Bath, all of which were 

 known and usecl in the days of the Roman Empire, and probably long 

 before by the barbarians whom the Romans conquered. 



The only active volcano of the European continent is that of Vesu- 

 vius, and it is naturally grouped with Stromboli, Vulcano, and Etna, all 

 being in the Mediterranean region. In Italy, the eastern or Adriatic 

 side of the Apennines is destitute alike of hot springs and the evi- 

 dences of vulcanism, the springs being found on the west side, where, 

 as we have just noted, we have one of the most active and best known 

 centers of volcanic activity. 



Going eastward, we again reach an area of igneous rocks in the 

 Grecian Archipelago, where the volcanoes of Santorin and Nisyros are 

 active. The catalogue shows that here, also, is an area of thermal 

 springs, some of them among the most noted in ancient times. 



The deposits from the thermal waters of Europe are mainly calca- 

 reous, and have been immense in quantity, especially when the springs 

 Avere more active. The calcareous tufas in Italy are of such thickness 

 and hardness as to afford durable building stone, and they have been 

 so utilized, especially in Rome. In Hungary, also, travertine has been 

 used in the construction of all the houses in the town of Czelea. Enor- 

 mous quantities of siliceous sinter and calcareous tufa are found in the 

 district of Schemnitz in Hungary. At Compissade, a spring near Mont 

 Dor, in France, the deposit is siliceous; and in Ischia and parts of 

 Italy there are springs which deposit siliceous sinter, and the deposit 

 from Ischia, to which the name of Fiorite has been given, corresponds 

 in its chemical composition with the deposits from Iceland, New Zea.- 

 land, and the Yellowstone National Park. 



The thermal springs of Europe are so well known and have been so 

 thoroughly studied that it is unnecessary to describe any of them here. 

 For descriptions the reader is referred to the numerous publications re- 

 lating to them, of which a partial list is given in the Bibliographical 

 Appendix F. 



* See Proc. Somerset Archeol. Nat. Hist. Soc, Vo]. XXII, pp. 52-60. 



