48 0. B. B0GGILD. BOTTOM DEPOSITS. [norw. pol. exp. 



constituents, or 0*14 per cent of the whole sample. As will be pointed 

 out below, the contents of a part of the samples taken from the surface of 

 the ice, include appreciable quantities of Algae; but even on the assumption 

 that a portion of this material will be able during the summer to thaw out 

 and settle on the bottom, it is nevertheless probable as before mentioned, that 

 all organic matter will be soon decomposed in the more slowly formed 

 samples, and algae are therefore not found in any one of them. 



Siliceous Organisms have not been observed in any of the bottom- 

 samples of the Fram Expedition. This is very remarkable, as sponge 

 spicules and diatoms in particular, are generally found in very great quantities, 

 and are scarcely ever absent, even from the samples formed nearest land. 

 If found at all, it must be in exceedingly small quantities, as a considerable 

 number of all sizes of particles have been examined under the microscope, 

 and these organisms are always very conspicuous. Even in the small area 

 of open water found in these regions, diatoms must be very feebly represented; 

 and the entire ocean-floor where the samples were taken must be nearly 

 wholly destitute of siliceous sponges. 



Fragments of Mollusc Shells are found in several of the samples among 

 the coarser particles, but never more than 1 or 2 very insignificant pieces, 

 except in No. 6, where they occur in somewhat greater numbers, though 

 only in indeterminable fragments. 



Foraminifera, which are generally particularly characteristic of bottom- 

 deposits, play a very unimportant part in these samples, although they occur 

 in considerably greater quantities than any of the other organisms. There 

 are only 2 specimens of the larger forms — more than 0*5 mm. — in the 

 samples, viz. a rotaliform foraminifer in No. 6, and a Haplophragmium in 

 No. 6. As usual, by far the most numerous of the smaller forms are 

 Globigerinae, with a very few rotaliform foraminifera; it is only in the samples 

 from near the shore — and this is also the case elsewhere — that the last 

 named may be in the majority, or even the sole occupants. The smaller 

 forms of Foraminifera were found in the following samples: 



No. 2, a few rotaliform Foraminifera 



No. 7, a single Globigerina 



No. 9, some Foraminifera, chiefly Globigerinae 



No. 13 a, a few Foraminifera, exclusively Globigerina? 



