733 



sun«^. But on the coasts of the Faeroes, Gigartina always keeps 

 its dark reddish-brown colour. 



Simmons does not set apart any special G/^ar///?a-association. 

 In reference to Boye's G/^'ar/zna-formation. he writes (p. 260): »Die 

 letztere konnte wohl auch auf den Faroern unterschieden werden, 

 ich bin aber geneigt, sie nur als eine lokale und zufallige Ausbil- 

 dung der Corallinaformation zu betrachten , wo Gigartina uberwie- 

 gend ist.« Opinions may of course dilTer on this matter, but as 

 Gigartina can be found as an unmixed growth and often of consider- 

 able extent, I agree with Boye in maintaining a special Gigartina- 

 association. 



I have found the Gz^ar///?a- association beautifully developed 

 on the northern side of the entrance of Trangisvaagfjord, where 

 Gigartina (see plate XVIII) forms extensive growths on horizon- 

 tal rocks. 



On Sumbo Holm, the G/^ar/zVja-association was found on a very 

 exposed coast, at a height of 2—4 feet, and on Myggenses Holm I 

 have seen it at a height of at least 10 feet above the lowest water 

 mark. It is, on the whole, one of the commonest associations on 

 the coasts of the Faeroes. 



Directly below this association. 



The Himanthalia- Association 



is found. The peculiar and characteristic Himanthalia /orea-associa- 

 tion (see plate XIX) is very common on the exposed coasts of the 

 Faeroes. It grows from immediately above the lowest water mark 

 down to the sublittoral A/arz'a-association. On flat rocks, the Himan- 

 //za/za-association will stretch very far horizontally, but vertically, only 

 to one foot as a rule. On sloping rocks which are constantly washed 

 over by the sea, it may reach somewhat higher, sometimes even to 

 the Ca//z7/?a/7i/?zo/7-association. For instance, on rocks at Viderejde I 

 have observed well-developed specimens with receptacles (see plate 

 XV), at a height of at least 6 — 7 feet above low water mark. On the 

 other hand, the characteristic buttonlike or often globular, inflated, 

 yellowish-brown, young plants are frequently found rather far above 

 its special level, sometimes even above high water mark. But they 



^ j>Den (formationen) er meget ieinefaldende paa lang afstand som et hst 

 gulgront belte straks over nederste vandstandsmterke; de enkelte algeindivider er 

 nemlig aldeles afblegede i sollyset. 



47* 



