Med Hensyn til Dyrelivets"Forhold i den omhandlede 

 Havstrækning er vor Kundskab omtrent paa det samme 

 Trin som med Hensyn til de fysiske Forhold. Denne Hav- 

 strækning er hidtil saagodtsom slet ikke undersøgt og meget 

 synes at lade formode, at Dyrelivet her saavel oppe i Søen 

 som paa de største Dyb vil vise sig særdeles rigt ud- 

 viklet. Navnlig vil der til de paa de store Dybder (som 

 her gaa ned til over 2000 Favne) levende Dyrformer knytte 

 sig en ganske særlig Interesse ikke blot i zoologisk men 

 ogsaa i geologisk Henseende, da det allerede har vist sig, 

 at saadanne Dybvandsdyr ofte kunne aabne os ganske uven- 

 tede Indblik i vor Jordklodes tidligere Forandringer. Det 

 lidet vi til Dato kjende om de fysiske Forhold i den om- 

 talte Havstrækning, tør nu ogsaa lade os formode, at der 

 efter al Sandsynlighed her vil tindes et rigere og mere 

 varieret Dyreliv i Dybet, end maaske i nogen anden Del 

 af Verdenshavene, og at man derfor netop her lettest vil 

 kunne faa løst mange endnu uafgjorte Spørgsmaal vedkom- 

 mende Dyrelivets Udbredning i Havets Dybder og Forhold 

 til tidligere Jordperioders Dyreliv. De engelske Expedi- 

 tioner med -'Lightning" og "Porcupine" have allerede til- 

 strækkeligt vist os. hvilket vidt Felt for fremtidige Under- 

 søgelser. berørende de vigtigste Spørgsmaal i Naturviden- 

 skaben. der her ligger aabent for os, og det er ganske 

 naturligt, at den videnskabelige Verden ogsaa venter, at der 

 fra vort Lands Side skal gjøres noget til Fremme af en 

 Sag', der er af saa stor Betydning for Videnskaben og hvori 

 allerede saa mange Nationer have tåget virksom Del. 



Vi have ogsaa en dobbelt Opfordring hertil, da der 

 ved Siden af de rent videnskabelige Resultater ogsaa kan 

 ventes opnaaet Resultater af stor praktisk Betydning for 

 vort Land. At Undersøgelserne af de fysiske Forhold i 

 denne Havstrækning vil give vigtige Bidrag til Bedømmel- 

 sen af Vejrforholdene langs vor meget befærdede Vestkyst 

 og derved altsaa komme Kystbefolkningen tilgode under 

 dens haarde og farlige Bedrift tilsøs. er vel utvivlsomt. 

 Ogsaa er det at vente, at mange Spørgsmaal vedkommende 

 vore vigtigste Fiskerier herved vil kunne løses. Navnlig 

 gjælder dette de for vort Land saa vigtige Sildefiskerier. 

 Som allerede Undertegnede Sårs har udtalt, .er der al 

 Sandsynlighed for, at de store Sildemasser. der om Vinte- 

 ren og Vaaren besøge vore Kyster, netop have sit egentlige 

 Tilhold i den omtalte Havstrekning, og at de Variationer, 

 som gjennem Tidernes Løb ere iagttagne ved Vaarsildtiske- 

 rierne, væsentlig afhænge af og betinges af de forskjellige 

 meteorologiske Forhold i det udenfor liggende Hav. 



Den store saavel videnskabelige som praktiske In- 

 tci sse, der saaledes knytter sig til Kundskaben om vort 

 Vesterhavs Naturforhold, gjør det i mange Henseender øn- 

 skeligt, at en saadan Kundskab erhverves saa snart og saa 

 fuldstændigt som muligt. Ed gradevis Fremgangsmaade 

 med Benyttelse af de forha anden vær ende Hjelpemidler vil 



( (f the fauna inhabiting the tract of ocean referred 

 to in this Memorial, our present knowledge is no less 

 limited than of its physical conditions. This extensive 

 region has never yet been made the held of zoological in- 

 vestigation ; and' there is much to warrant our assuming, 

 that the animal lite prevailing there will prove to be 

 distinguished alike at the surface and in the greatest depths 

 by a high degree of development. And moreover. peculiar 

 interest will attach to forms of animal lite occurring in 

 the great depths (upwards of 2000 fathoms), not only from 

 a zoological. but also from a geological point of view. in- 

 asmuch as deep-sea animals have frequently afforded an 

 unexpected insight into the earlier transformations of" our 

 planet. From the little at present known of the physical 

 conditions distinguishing the aforesaid ocean-tract, we may 

 inter, that. inhabiting its depths, will be in all. probability 

 found a fauna more extensive • and varied than, perhaps, 

 in any other part of the ocean; and hence that we may 

 rely on its furnishing exceptional facilities for the elucidn- 

 tion of many still unsettled questions touching the occur- 

 rence of deep-sea animals, and the conditions affecting ani- 

 mal lite in former geological periods. The results of the 

 British Expeditions with the "Lightning" and the "Porcu- 

 pine" have shown us bow wide a field of research this sub- 

 ject opens, bearing as it does on the weightiest problems 

 in Physics and Natura! History ; and it is but natural that 

 our country should now be expected to coutribute her quota 

 towards the advancement of a cause so important to the 

 interests of Science, and in which so many nations have 

 already tåken active part. 



Besides, we have in this case an additional motive to 

 impel us. since. apart from scientific expectations. there 

 is reason to conclude that great material advantage would 

 accrue to the country at large. Thus, for instance, a 

 thorough investigation of the physical conditions peculiar 

 to the said ocean-tract, must very materially assist in throw- 

 ing light upon the meteorological influences so potent in 

 determining the weather on our western shores, and thereby 

 render special service to the coastal population when en- 

 gaged in their arduous avocations. Moreover, many now 

 open questions affecting the most important of our tisheries, 

 would, we may reasonably opine, be elucidated. This reiers 

 in particular to the great periodical herring-tisheries. As 

 already suggested by one of your memorialists (Sårs), it is 

 in all probability this tract of ocean within which lie the 

 true haunts of those enormous shoals of herrings that in 

 the winter and spring annually repair to our shores; an'd 

 the marked irregularity of occurreuce, observed. in the 

 course of years, after a longer or shorter interval. to dis- 

 tinguish these tisheries. may no doubt be trétced to meteo- 

 rological influence at work off the coast. 



Hence. as verv great benetit would assurodly result 

 alike to Science and to the material interests of the nation 

 from an intimate knowledge of the physical and biological 

 conditions distinguishing the Norwegian Seas. the sooner 

 and the tuller, in our judgment, that knowledge be ac- 

 quired, the better. A gradual mode of procedure, using 



