388 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
tend to confirm this limit. The tides increase indeed further 
north, as a fall of about eight feet was observed in one 
of the extreme inland arms of the Hardanger Fjord, and a 
considerable tract of shingle was laid bare off Throndhjem, but 
Hammerfest was the only place at which anything was observed 
at all comparable to the tides on our own coast. Here a fall of 
perhaps ten feet was observed, and here at the same time a 
really rich littoral fauna occurred. Mollusca of bright colours 
(Littorina sp., a large Nudibranch of the genus Doridopsis, &c.) ; 
of Hydroidea, Clava sp. with orange heads, in abundance on the 
stones between tide-marks. Groves of fine Alge waved to and 
fro in the clear still water of the Soré Sound between the 
island of Kvalé, on which Hammerfest stands, and that of Soré, 
Laminaria and Delesseria being especially luxuriant, the latter 
already commencing to decay. Among the stones in the rock- 
pools occurred an Anemone with warty column (perhaps 
Tealia). This and a dark red Actinian (possibly Actinia mesem- 
bryanthemum) at Torghatten Island (lat. 653°) were the only 
representatives of their group observed on this coast. Further 
evidence of the richness of the fauna was afforded by the anchor 
when hauled up, the Decapod Maia, abundant Polyzoa on weed, 
Nereid worms, a mollusc, Onchidiopsis glacialis, being obtained 
in this way, and in the mud a rich harvest of characteristic 
Arctic Foraminifera, similar to those found in deep water off 
the Shetland Islands, and a fine series of Ostracode Crustacea. 
The harbour was full of a very fine colourless Beroé, fully 
four inches long (probably B. cucumis). 
Unfortunately time did not admit of dredging here, or many 
more forms would doubtless have been added to the list, but enough 
was seen to show how favourable a point Hammerfest would be 
for observations on subarctic marine life, and, considering its 
sheltered position and its comparatively civilized surroundings, 
we recommend it strongly as a situation for a zoological station 
should it ever be thought desirable to investigate Arctic waters by 
such means. The climate (it having the same mean winter tem- 
perature as Christiania) must be incomparably more endurable 
than that of Jan Mayen Island, where the Austrians have already a 
meteorological station. The proximity of Hammerfest to the North 
Cape naturally leads us to notice a few but significant indications 
of interest in the zoological relations of that famous headland. 
