Hjalmar Ostergren. 



[No. 9 



and tlie western part of Finmark. Topograplrically speaking, the 

 Arctic circle is the limit of the Arctic region, but with regard to 

 climate and zoogeography, the case is different. I will now with 

 regard to the latter make some remarks about the coast of Norway, 

 referring to G. 0. Sårs (1879) on zoogeographical matters and to 

 0. NoRDGAARD (1899) on matters of hydrography. 



The large, open West Fiord (about 6703O'— 68^30' N.) is greatly 

 influenced by the Gulf Stream. From a depth of 200 m. down to 

 the bottom (640 m.) the water, just as in the fiords of southern 

 Norway, has all the year round a temperature of 4- 6^ to 7° C, 

 wliereas at less depths the temperature of the water is lower than 

 in the south of Norway. Therefore many arctic species are also to 

 be found in the littoral and sublittoral zone, while the fauna in the 

 greater depths almost coincides with that of the corresponding 

 depths on the west coast of Norway. The open coast up to the 

 North Cape is on the whole, according to Sårs, like the AVest 

 Fiord. In East Finmark (east of the North Cape) the temperature 

 of the water is lower and even at a considerably greater depth 

 subject to great variations. The fauna is of a predominant arctic 

 character. The same is the case with the fiords in West Finmark, 

 north of the West Fiord, and also with some less fiords inside the 

 West Fiord and south of the same down to 67^ (or 66^?) N. The 

 cause of the low and changing temperature in these fiords is, that 

 the water from the ocean is impeded in its fiow thither. 



The limits of the arctic seafauna are, on that account, of a 

 rather complicated nature in Norway. To the Boreal region G. 0. 

 Sårs reckons the West Fiord, the open coast up to the North Cape, 

 and also a part of the sea northwest of the North Cape as far as 

 to the 74th degree N. To the Arctic region he reckons the whole 

 of East Finmark (east of the North Cape), and also the fiords 

 north of the West Fiord and at least the inner parts of some fiords. 

 inside and south of the West Fiord. 



Of the localities which I shall mention later on, NoRDaAARD 

 has given the bottom temperatures of the following: 



Salten Fiord, 670l4.5'N. 



V4 1900 



320—380 m. 



4- 6.65° C. 



Folden Fiord, 67^37' N. 



74 1900 



530 m. 



-f 6.550 Q^ 



Landegode, 67^22' N... 



273 1900 



300—400 m. 



+ 6.2° C. 



Sag Fiord, e,7%5' N. . . 



172 1899 



200 m. 



+ 6.40 c. 



