Th 



his Synopsis is founded on materials extant in the Swedish State Museum and for the 

 most part brought together by the various arctic expeditions which during the two de- 

 cennaries 1858 — 1878 Avere fitted out from Sweden, as also by the dredgings of numerous 

 naturalists which for niany years have investigated its shores. 



A brief review of the cruises and dredging-excursions thus carried out, will give the 

 reader some notice about the stations searched. 



In the year 1858 Otto Torell, accompanied by Adolf Nordenskiöld and Aug. 

 QvENNERSTEDT, undertook a private cruise of two months on the western parts of Spitz- 

 bergen, and brought home extensive marine and geological collections, particularly from 

 Icesound, Bellsound and Hornsound, where they reached the greatest depth at 900 meters. 



The arctic expedition of 1861, with O. Torell as leader, resulted also in rich col- 

 lections, made by Andrew Malmgren, Adam Frederic Smitt, and myself. Extensive dredg- 

 ings were undertaken in the bays and surrounding seas of the western, northern, and 

 eastern parts of Spitzbergen, and the late Dr. Karl Chydenius from Helsingfors made 

 deep sea soundings in 75° n. lat. and 12° east long., where the bottom Avas caught in 

 1,869 meters, and in 76° 17' n. lat., 13° 53' east. long., where the BuUdog machine struck 

 bottom at a depth of 2,490 meters. 



In 1864 a reconnoitering expedition under the command of Nordenskiöld, accom- 

 panied by Malmgren as zoologist, visited the southern bays of Spitzbergen and brought 

 home valuable collections. 



In 1868 the steamer "Sophia", commander now Admiral Baron F. W. von Otter, 

 was sent to the seas of Spitzbergen on an expedition the scientific chief of which was 

 Nordenskiöld, while Smitt and Malmgren were attached as zoologists. Numerous dredg- 

 ings Avere executed and deep sea soundings made, so in 81° 32' n. lat. nortliAvest from Spitz- 

 bergen, where the sounding machine brought up bottom clay from 2,314 meters, and in 

 78° 26' n. lat., 2° 17' west. long., from 4,700 meters, besides at other stations Avest and 

 northwest of Spitzbergen from depths of 1,000 — 2,000 meters. 



During a reconnoitering tour to Greenland in 1870 Nordenskiöld Avas accompanied, 

 amongst other men of science, by Dr. P. Öberg who at several places in Baffins Bay 

 brought up quantities of typical arctic Foraminifera of high development, from a depth 

 of 100 to 650 meters. The principal stations were Jacobshavn, Claushavn, Tossukatek, Disco. 



