668 



Færoes without reference to a post -glacial land -bridge.« In the 

 work mentioned above be expresses himself (p. 100) with as mncb 

 reservation on tbis qnestion as in the present case. 



Recently, quite another series of facts have been brought for- 

 ward in support of the theory of the post-glacial land connection, 

 viz. the following: — Already, several investigators (e. g. Jeffreys, 

 1868; G. O. Sars, 1872; Spotswood Green and H. Friele 1879 1 ) 

 had previously noted the occurrence of shallow water shells at 

 considerable depths on the sea bottom, and sought the explanation 

 in a former elevation of the sea beds. In 1900 the Danish zoolo- 

 gist A. S. Jensen recordcd that also on the Danish »Ingolf« expedi- 

 tion littoral mussel shells were found at considerable depths, up to 

 1300 fathoms, where they could not possibly have lived. He re- 

 garded this as evidence of an enorm ou s post-glacial depres- 

 sion of land, some 800—1400 fathoms, which had gradually 

 taken place 2 . He likewise considered the find of otoliths of cods 

 at great depths to be additional proof of the land-depression, but 

 that very year he rejected this evidence (Videnskab. Meddel., 

 1900, p. 251). 



Brogger, however, hesitates in accepting the assumption of 

 such an enormous subsidence, and is of opinion that if the land 

 lay so much higher formerly it must have been during the great 

 Ice Age and not after that time. 



In 1902 A.C.Johansen (1. c.) wrote still more strongly against 

 this hypothesis of the land-depression. He shows that the pheno- 

 menon mentioned above is widespread, and says, e. g. on p. 413: — 

 »The phenomenon presents itself at all the coasls where the mollusc 

 fauna has been fairly well investigated«, also over large areas of the 

 Atlantic Ocean, and »the phenomenon is so universal, that we must 

 hesitate to explain it as caused by a sinking of the sea bed« (see also 

 Brogger, 1. c. p. 99). As an explanation of this circumstance he 

 mentions (1), thai the shells may have been transported by the 



1 See A.C.Johansen: »On the hypotheses on the sinking of seabeds based 

 on the occurrence of dead shallow-water shells at great depths in the sea. Viden- 

 skabelige Meddelelser 1902, p. 40-1. See also Brogger Le. 



2 See A. S. Jensen. Om Levninger af Grundvandsdyr paa store Havdyb mellem 

 Jan Maven og Island. Videnskabelige Meddelelser fra Naturhist. Forening, 1900. 

 See also letter to Brogger in his work (p. 90) ahove eited. 



