1899] Some Hydrograpliical Eesults. 23 



the case with the Folden. But it may prove that while the Folden 

 will show a faunistic character very near that of the Trondhjems 

 fjord, the Rånen will be more arctic than even the Vestfjord. I 

 think it will be expedient to divide our fjords into two classes : 



1. Fjords of a constant^) bottom temperature. 



2. Fjords of variable bottom temperature. 



To the former class belong all the fjords whose bottom con- 

 ditions are of such a nature that they can receive so large masses 

 of ocean water, that it commands the temperature in the deep. 

 From the Hardanger fjord in the south to the Vestfjord and the 

 Ofoten fjord in the north the temperature of the deep in these 

 fjords lies between 6 and 7 degrees. The deep-level fauna, wears 

 in these a rather uniform (southerly) character, while the littoral 

 fauna in the case of the northern fjords is mainly arctic, from 

 reasons mentioned before. To the other class belong first all the 

 fjords of East Finmark, and Kvænangen, Lyngen, Ulfsfjord, Mal- 

 angen^); further, branches joining fjords of the former class, but 

 forming independent basins (for instance: Skjomen, Øgsfjord, Kan- 

 stadfjord, Kirkfjord, etc). 



To the latter are likely to be added the Saltenfjord and the 

 Eanenfjord. It is a common feature of these fjords that the 35 — 

 water either does not penetrate at all or in such small voluma, 

 that it does not command the natural conditions of the deep. As 

 before mentioned, there was in these fjords at wintertime a remark- 

 able uniformity of temperature and salinity. The fauna is not 

 unmixedly arctic in all of these fjords; even in the Kvænangen 

 boreal elements are added in the outher parts. It is only in the 

 inner parts, especially in basins connected with the main fjord by 

 shallow streams, that the arctic forms appear without boreal im- 

 mixture and in their original fashion. 



From the Eombaksbotten, which is just such an innermost 

 basin only connected with the fjord proper by a shallow stream, I 

 have the following series of observations : 



Febr. 8tli 



1899. Eombaksbotten. 



d. 



t. 



s. 



m. 



0.2 C. 



33, 25 o/oo 



50 „ 



0,7 



33, 25 



80 „ 



0,7 



33,25 



110 „ 



0,6 



33,87 



^ The variatioiis are but small, tlie word constant is tims not to be tåken 

 in an absolute- sense. 



^) The Altenfjord must temporarilj' be put aside. 



