468 DR R. E. SCORESBY-JACKSON ON THE TEMPERATURE 



springs, Ax was in some respects the most interesting of the places visited in the 

 Pyrenees. At Bagneres-de-Luchon, art had been so well applied to render the 

 place as attractive as possible to summer visitors, that no trace of the natural 

 outlet of the water upon the surface of the ground remained ; and even the 

 appointed places for its escape had frequently been changed. But at Ax nature 

 had been left almost undisturbed ; the mineral waters were still oozing from 

 their natural crevices, and the Place dit Breilh still answered exactly to the 

 diagrams given in Principal Forbes' paper of 1836. 



At Ax I had the able assistance of Dr Garrigou, medical inspector of the 

 waters. He mentioned that he had examined no less than seventy-eight distinct 

 springs, and that he had since discovered many others. 



r observed the temperature of several springs; but I need mention only two, 

 namely, the Canons and Rossignol. That the temperatures of these springs were 

 observed exactly at the same places as they were by Principal Forbes in 1835 is 

 almost certain, for there appears to have been no change whatever made in the 

 Place du Breilh. Dr Garrigou was decidedly of opinion that the places of obser- 

 vation were identical. The thermometer used by Dr Garrigou was made by 

 Fastre of Paris, and contained eight degrees of Centigrade to the inch of my 

 tape : I made use of my thermometer D. 



Canons. — The temperature of this spring was ascertained at the taps (in the 

 Place du Breilh), from which it issues in full streams. The water is utilised at 

 this spot by the inhabitants of Ax, and at the time of our observations (about 

 eight A.M.) several women were at the taps washing vegetables. We borrowed a 

 large tin vessel from one of them, and allowed the water to fill and overflow it 

 for a few minutes. We then immersed our thermometers, the water from the 

 tap continuing to flow into and over the vessel. We did this at both taps, and 

 carefully observed the temperature several times. 

 The temperature recorded was : — 



Dr Garrigou, .... 74-80 Cent. = 166-64 Fahr. 

 Thermometer D ... 166-20 „ 



Difference, -44 



Rossignol. — Exactly at the spot indicated by Principal Forbes (and, if I re- 

 member rightly, about 20 feet from the taps of the Canons), a large stone was 

 lifted, thereby exposing the actual source of the Rossignol spring. Here we 

 plunged our thermometers at once into the water as it flowed to its channel under 

 the street. 



The temperature recorded, after several observations, was, — 



Dr Garrigou, .... 77-50 Cent. = 171-50 Fahr. 



Thermometer D, .... ... 171-00 „ 



DiflFerence, -50 



