VEG A-EXPEDITIONENS VETENSKAPLIGA AP BETEN. 



375 



was not over-cooled, but was kept liquid by the influence of 

 the pressure, but in the case f. ex. of the observations from 

 the 14*^ April 1879 at Pitlekaj we can not well resort to this 

 €xplanation. 



From the commencement of June the thickness of the ice 

 began to diminish and the temperature of the sea- water in- 

 creased. The following table contains the last deep-soundings 

 made at Pitlekaj. 



Water-analyses. 



. I choose this opportunity to mention briefly the results 

 of some quantitative analyses on samples of sea-water taken 

 from various localities and from different depths of the Siberian 

 Ocean. At my request Mr. Forsberg, assistant teacher of 

 ohemical analysis at the laboratory of the university of Stock- 

 holm, undertook these determinations. The experimental 

 methods for the determination of the constituent parts of 

 sea-water: sodium, potassium, lime, magnesium etc... are too 

 well known to need any description here. Some practical 

 precautions in the analytical operations have been recommend- 

 ed lately by experienced chemists and hydrographers, such 

 as Prof. Ekman ^ and Mr. Schmelck. - Mr. Forsberg 

 agreed with my opinion, that the experimental proceeding ought 

 to be conducted strictl}^ in accordance with these principles, 

 in order to make the investigation of the Siberian Ocean con- 

 formable to the previous researches on the water of the 

 North-Atlantic, the Kattegatt and the Baltic. Suffice it then 

 to say, that the amount of 



1) Lime was weighed ^ as CaO, obtained by calcination of 



1 Om hafsvattnet utmed Bohuslänska kusten. K. \. A:s H. Bd 9. X:o 4. 



2 Norwegian North-Atlant. exped. 1876 — 78. IX. 



^ According to my own opinion it would be far better to calculate the 

 amount of Na, Ka, Mg, Ca, SO4, Cl contained in 1000 cc. of the sea-water 

 [at O" C], but as the usual method is: to represent empirically the composi- 



