channels, either containing water alone or water filling the interstices of some porous material, these waters being the product of rainfall, dew, and snow. But this answer has sometimes been found not to satisfy a certain class of minds; and, as long ago as 1834, Arago thought it not beneath him to publish in the "Annuaire du Bureau des Longitudes" for 1835 a considerable essay, in which he shows conclusively that the rise and flow of water in springs and artesian wells are sufficiently explained by the cause assigned above. Further on will be found a translation of some passages from this elegant essay.
Arago was so certain of the correctness of his views, that from his knowledge of the geological formations of France he not only foretold that potable water would be found by boring an artesian well at Grenelle, near Paris, but that the water would rise and overflow the surface. In 1833 he succeeded in getting the French Government to undertake the boring of this well, and although about eight years were required to complete it and it was for some time in danger of being abandoned, his urgent representations prevailed in obtaining a further prosecution of the work, and in 1841 his foresight was rewarded with the splendid success familiar to the public. Modern engineers, in judging of the chances of getting flowing water from an artesian well in any particular locality are guided by the same general theory as that held by Arago.
But a writer in the November number of this magazine combats this theory, "not merely from speculative motives, but in the interest of public health," and offers an explanation of his own, involving a "newly discovered force" which "not only may, but which positively must, force waters out of springs at high elevations." This "new force" as it is called in another sentence, is "the resultant of the earth's centripetal and centrifugal forces," and it produces springs and flowing wells by acting "impulsively upon the subterranean water deposits," tending "to force them into and though the natural channels of the earth's crust." It is proposed here to examine Mr. Green's article in some detail, in connection with a consideration of the generally accepted theory of springs and flowing walls.
A peculiarity in one or two of Mr. Green's quotations led me to verify them in the works cited by him, and in doing so I could but notice that he had apparently made a number of slips of the pen, which, though perhaps unimportant in themselves, yet give indication of some carelessness. For instance, in quoting from "Littell's Living Age," he changes Colne to Coln, Watford to Wetford, Pole's Hole to Pales's Hole, Dickenson to Dickinson, Canstadt to Constadt, Bruckman (which should have been Bruckmann) to Buckmann, and predicted to discovered. Another of his quotations from the same source is this, "The artesian well at Tours rose with a jet that sustained a cannon." The original said, "An artesian well at Tours rose with a jet that sustained in the air a cannon-ball." As the account of
