No. H.] MECHANICAL COMPOSITION OF SAMPLES. 31 



to later changes that have possibly occurred to the sea bottom itself, owing 

 to which a proportion of the sand granules have fallen apart once more. The 

 subsequent boiling-out in the laboratory must also have been of influence 

 in this connection. 



Sample No. 7 was taken west of Taimur Sound, in a little bay in the 

 Western Taimur Peninsula. The geographical conditions here are especially 

 complicated, as just off the land there is a large number of islands that have 

 not as yet been carefully surveyed, and these may give rise to a very com- 

 plicated condition of currents and deposits. The curve, too, presents a 

 rather irregular appearance with several maxima both for the clay and the 

 sand; and it is quite impossible to make out the details. The colour of the 

 clay is a rather decided grey, which makes it reasonable to assume that the 

 deposition has taken place very rapidly. A large portion of the clay, how- 

 ever, has not been capable of disintegration by boiling, but this may be be- 

 cause it orginates from older deposits on shore, which can often become so 

 hardened in the course of time, that the clay can no longer be disintegrated 

 by boiling. The comparatively large number of particles of more than 1 mm. 

 may possibly be due to conveyance by ice, but may also arise from the 

 close proximity of the sample to land. 



Stations 8 and 9 are situated to the east of the Eastern Taimur Penin- 

 sula, outside the Khatanga Bay and north of the mouth of the Anabara. In 

 this region there are north-flowing currents of river water from the coast, so 

 that we may assume that a large proportion of the material originates from 

 the rivers. The two samples differ greatly from one another. The curve for 

 No. 8 is very regular in its course, as regards both the sand and the clay; 

 there are here very few particles of more than 005 mm. The maximum of 

 the curve for the sand is about -£$ mm. with an even descent to both sides; 

 and thus, whether the material originates from the rivers or from the coast, 

 the drift of the current must be such that most of the coarser particles have 

 been deposited already. The colour is a purer grey than that of any of the 

 other samples. It is scarcely probable, however, that this sample should have 

 been deposited more rapidly than those already mentioned off the mouth of 

 the Yenisei; features in its chemical nature may possibly also have asserted 

 themeselves here. 



