1903] Echinodermen von „Michael Sårs" 1900—1903 gesammelt. 7 



aufs neue von der Tritonexpedition untersucht 1 ), die in Bezug auf die 

 Fauna zu demselben Resultat wie die vorhergehenden kam. (Cfr. 

 die Specialabhandlungen der Tritonexpedition). 



Hoyle, der såmmtliche im Færokanal gefundenen Opbiuriden 

 bearbeitet hat, land, dass 6 Arten nur der warmen, 6 nur der kalten 

 Area angehorten und 8 Arten ihnen gemein waren 2 ). Doch sei be- 

 merkt, dass Hoyle bei dieser Einteilung nur den Færokanal be- 

 riicksichtigt hat, weshalb dieselbe etwas willktirlich ist. 



Spåtere, namentlich dånische Expeditionen haben gefunden, dass 

 auch die Færoinseln mit Island und dies wieder mit GrOnland durch 

 solche unterseeische Rlicken verbunden sind. Das Meer nordlich 

 von diesen Riicken, das Nordmeer, wurde 1876 — 78 von der nor- 

 wegischen Nordmeerexpedition mit „Yoringen" untersucht. In „Nord- 

 havets dybder, temperatur og strømninger" (p. 76) sagt Professor 

 Mohn: „The greater part of the bed throughout the North Ocean 

 is covered with ice-cold water, having a temperature below -r 1°. 

 If we folio w the isothermal linie for 0°, we shall everywhere find 

 it, save in the Barents Sea, near that for -s- 1°. In the Atlantic, 

 degrees above 0° occur at the bottom ; in the North Ocean, on the 

 coastal banks only; and in the Barents Sea, throughout the western 

 part. But towards the north, they extend up to the 80th parallel 

 of latitude, on the east side of the sea, off Spitzbergen. Water 

 with a temperature above 0° covers the Iceland coastal banks, all 

 round the island, likewise the Iceland-Faroe Ridge, the Faroe Banks, 

 the Wyville-Thomson Ridge, the whole of the North-Sea Flake, the 

 Norway coastal banks, the western and southern tracts of the Barents 

 Sea, the West-Spitzbergen Banks, and a small portion of the Jan 

 Mayen Bank. The boundary line for 0° follows, therefore, speaking 

 generally, the contour of the banks. These keep, it may be said, 

 the ice-cold water far away from the coasts of Iceland, from those 

 of the Faroes, from the Scottish isles, from the coast and fjords 

 of Norway, and also, though in a less degree from the western 

 shores of Beeren Eiland and Spitzbergen .... But 0° lies every- 

 where, as shown by the vertical sections, on the outer slope of the 

 bank; degrees below 0° are nowhere found to rise over the edge 

 and extend above the bank. Hence it is virtually the bank which, 

 by reason of its forms and extent keeps the cold of the deep at a 



x ) Proceed. Eoy. Soc. London, vol. 35, 1883, p. 202. 

 2 ) Proceed. Eoy. Soc. Edinburgh, vol. 12, 1881, p. 707. 



