47 



Eiland og Spidsbergen, er Kalkgehalten fundet betydelig 



høiere end i -den sydvestligere Del af Østhavet. 



in the map to have a surface-layer of Rhabdammina clay,' 

 the sample was found to contain a propbrtiori of lime con- 

 siderably in excess of tbat .distinguishing the same kind of 

 deposit from the south-western tract of the Easl Sim. 



Dette er rimeligvis at betragte som en Tilfældighed, 

 da alle de nærliggende Bundprover (Station 324, 326 og 

 327) kun bruser svagt for Syrer. 



Med Hensyn til det grønlige Lers Oxydationsgrad 

 viser det sig, at det gjennemgaaende indeholder betydelig 

 mere Jernoxydul i Forhold til Oxydet end de graa og de 

 brune Sedimenter. Her maa det tillige bemærkes. at hvor 

 vi ellers i Nordhavet træffer et Ler med lignende Blan- 

 dingsforhold eller med en tilsvarende hoi Kiselsyregehalt. 

 er dette i Almindelighed af en brunlig Farve eller altså a 

 stærkere oxyderet, men forekommer tillige meget sjelden 

 paa saa ringe Dyb som Ehabdammina-Leret. 



Nordhavets østlige Del er imidlertid ogsaa en Egn 

 for sig selv, hvis Særegenlieder med Hensyn til Bundens 

 Formationer vanskeliggjør enhver Sammenligning med dets 

 øvrige Partier. 



Medens vi langs Norges Vestkyst tinder en fra Landet 

 af mere eller mindre jevnt skraanende Havbund, har Øst- 

 havet selv paa de fjerneste Punkter omtrent den samme 

 Dybde som lige i Nærheden af Rysterne. 



Særegne Betingelser kan saaledes være givne for Sedi- 

 menternes og Dyrelivets Fordeling i denne Egn af Havet, 

 hvor Dybderne paa mange Steder — i lang Afstand fra 



1 Dette gaar altsaa ikke ind under Benævnelsen Rhabdammina- 

 Ler; men er ogsaa optaget i Tabellen paa Side 43 blandt Proverne 

 af det graa Ler. 



This, however, is probably a casual occurrence, all 

 the samples collected in adjacent localities (Stat. 324, 326, 

 and 327) effervescing but slightly with acids. 



With regard to the degree of oxidation distinguishing 

 Rhabdammina clay, tbat greenish deposit generally contains 

 much more of the protoxide in proportion to the sesqui- 

 oxide of iron than do any of the grev or brown clays. 

 Here I must also observe, that wheresoever else on the 

 bed of the North Atlantic we meet with a clay similar in 

 composition, or characterized by an equal amount of silica 

 it will, as a rule. being more highly oxidized, have a 

 binwnish colour. but rarely occur at so moderate a depth 

 as Rhabdammina clay. 



Meanwhile, the eastern sectioii of the North Atlantic 

 constitutes as regards the nature of the deposits distributed 

 over its bed an exceptional locality. whose phenomenal 

 characteristics well-nigh preclude comparison with the other 

 parts of that ocean tract. 



Aloug the west coast of Norway the bottom shelves 

 more. or less gradually from the land. whereas in the East 

 Sea the depth even at the most distant points is almost 

 the . same as in close proximity to the shore. 



Hence, peculiar conditions may determine the distri- 

 bution of both sedimentary deposit and animal life in this 

 tract of the ocean, where the depth in numerous localities 



1 This part uf the sample, which accordingly is not regarded 

 as Khabdaijimina clay, will be found in the Table given on gage 43 

 among tin- samples ni' 'jiv\ rlay. 



