The Lyman spectrum of hydrogen has been computed for a number of flare models, characterized by the column density of hydrogen atoms in the ground state (N1), the electron density (ne) and the electron temperature (Te). Broadening by the thermal Doppler effect and by Stark effect has been accounted for. The source functions for the individual lines of the series have been derived from non-LTE calculations of the excitation in hydrogen flares. The aim of the investigation is to evaluate the use of the intensities in between two successive Lyman lines for a determination of the value for N1, which is a physical parameter of the flare for which only indirect determinations are available. Whilst in principle this method could give reliable results, its practical application meets with difficulties which hardly can be overcome. Therefore, one probably has to base the N1 determination on the highest line resolvable in the spectrum.