  We present observations of the Lyman alpha forest towards B2 1225+317 taken
at a resolution of 18 km/s. A clean sample of Lyman alpha forest lines is
extracted after a careful profile fitting analysis and removal of absorption
lines of heavy elements. The sample is analyzed for statistical properties.
Eighty percent of the column densities are < 10^{14} cm^{-2}. A single power
law is inconsistent with the column density distribution and a steepening/break
in the distribution is indicated. The average velocity dispersion parameter is
29.4 km/s. We find 3 sigma evidence for a correlation between column density
and the velocity dispersion parameter. The correlation, however, is mainly due
to narrow lines and weakens to 1.2 sigma if lines with velocity dispersion
parameter smaller than 20 km/s are excluded. An excess of line pairs with
velocity separation $\le$ 100 km/s over the expected number is found.
