rdydrographical observations have been carried on in the waters between 

 Scotland and Iceland for a number of years. These observations have shown, that 

 the Golf Stream at all times fills almost the whole region between the Shetland 

 Islands and the Fseroes, but that the influence of the Polar Stream can be 

 detected, as a rule, in a lower salinity of the oceanic waters in the immediate 

 neighbourhood of the latter. The Polar Stream is therefore not very far distant. 

 It is obvious beforehand, that the East Icelandic Polar Stream is subject to con- 

 siderable fluctuations from year to year, both as regards extent and position; yet, 

 the observations make it seem probable, that this stream is always present to the 

 north-west, north and north-east of the Fseroes. In winter and spring, the temper- 

 ature of the southern part of the Polar Stream is much lower, on the surface, than 

 that of the Atlantic Ocean. In the summer and autumn, on the other hand, the 

 difference in temperature between the two is considerably less, as the upper layer 

 of the Polar Stream is warmed by the sun and the wind. Consequently, we find 

 that the East Icelandic Polar Stream has a cooling influence on its surroundings, 

 especially in winter and spring. We may, at present, investigate its influence on 

 the temperature of the air at Thorshavn on the Fseroes. 



When the wind blows over the Fseroes from the direction of the East Icelandic 

 Polar Stream, it naturally brings cold with it, especially at the periods of the )^ear, 

 when the surface of the Polar Stream is greatly cooled, in winter and spring 

 especially therefore. We should therefore expect a very low air-temperature at 

 Thorshavn at these seasons, when a northerly wind is blowing. But the direction 

 of the wind at one single station does not give perfectly trustworthy information 

 of where the wind is actually coming from; to ascertain this, we must consider 

 the position of the centre of the cyclone at the place of observation. For this 

 purpose, I have used the «täglichen synoptischen Wetterkarten für den Nord- 

 atlantischen Ocean und die anliegenden Teile der Kontinente, herausgegeben von 

 dem dänischen meteorologischen Institut und der deutschen Seewarte ■^, simultaneously 

 with the Danish meteorological annual reports. 



That the northerly winds bring cold to the Fseroes, is well-known both to the 

 dwellers on these islands and to the meteorologists connected with the climate 

 there. I will not refer any further to this well-known fact, therefore, but I would 

 bring to notice that this effect is to be ascribed to the East Icelandic Polar Stream. 



