Observations of the solar spectrum have been made between 1200–2200 Å with high spectral resolution. The results were obtained with an all-reflecting echelle spectrograph carried by a stabilized Skylark rocket launched in April 1970. Measurements of the profiles of a number of emission lines due to SiII, CII, SiIII and CIV formed in the temperature range 104–105 K, indicate ion energies which are considerably in excess of the electron temperatures derived from the ionization balance. Since the ion/electron relaxation time is very short the observed ion energies cannot correspond to an ion temperature and hence a non-thermal mechanical energy component exists in the transition zone.