The Foraminifera of the Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18. 
By JosprH A. CuSHMAN. 
. (With one plate.) 
The bottom samples collected by the Canadian Arctic Expedition by Mr. 
Frits Johansen were sent to me for examination and report. The area covered 
by the material is an interesting one, from which practically no records of 
foraminifera are available. The actual amount of material sent me was very 
small indeed, but careful searching has given a number of species. Most of 
‘these are of service in checking the work of Awerinzew on the Siberian Arctic, 
and of Kiaer on the American and European Arctic. In this way it rounds out 
the circumpolar distribution of certain species, such as H yperammina subnodosa, 
which was not found by Kiaer in the American Arctic, but which is abundant 
north of Siberia. The Canadian Arctic material has this species as its most 
abundant form. 
_ The whole assemblage seems to. call renewed attention to the fact that many 
species of foraminifera are limited in their distribution to conditions of tempe- 
rature, especially certain species, such as Polystomella arctica, are limited to the 
circumpolar area, with certain localized extensions southward. Others, while 
abundant in the Arctic, are now found in the Antarctic, and in the deep cold 
waters of the ocean basins between, a distribution known from other invertebrate 
groups as well. 
Other species apparently of world-wide distribution. have wide differences 
in different areas and, when a considerable series is available for study, it will 
probably be found that several distinct species or varieties have been included 
under one name. The tendency has been too much to ignore the various 
differences developed, and to place under one name different things from widely 
separated areas. Again, there has been a tendency to broaden the original 
characters of a species until it may now take in a wide range of forms, the real 
relations of which are obscured by such a method. Where a species is repre- 
sented by abundant specimens, the striking thing is always the great uniformity 
rather than the wide variation which might be expected, but which does not 
occur. Most of the variablity can be directly traced to different stages in the 
life-history, either developmental characters, or to the alternation of generations - 
where both microspheric and melagospheric forms occur. With these taken 
“into consideration, the amount of variation will usually be'found to be sur- 
prisingly small. 
If real progress is to be made in solving the distributional problems of our 
foraminiferal fauna, a close study must be made of differences wherever they 
occur. Such a study will undoubtedly lead to a greater-refinement in systematic 
work on the group. 
STATIONS FROM WHICH MATERIAL WAS EXAMINED WITH SPECIES OF FORAMINI- 
FERA AT EACH STATION. 
131. Bering Sea, Alaska. 54° 24’ N.; 160° 55’ W.; 57 fathoms. July 1, 
1913. A small amount of rounded sand grains, no foraminifera. 
16d. Bering Sea, Alaska. 59° 17’ N.; 165° 39’ W.; 13 fathoms. July 5, 
1913. A small amount of rounded sand grains, no foraminifera. 
16f. Bering Sea, Alaska. 59° 34’ N.; 167° 48’ W.; 13 fathoms. July 5, 
1913. A small amount of fine rounded sand grains, no foraminifera. 
16g. Same station as preceding, no foraminifera. 
20 b-c. Grantley harbour (Port Clarence), Alaska; 2-3 fathoms. July 30,. 
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