759 



which are common and peculiar to the Laminaria hijperhorea it- 

 self, a number of large and some small alga^ are found in the 

 Laminaria hijperborea-^ssocvdiioUy where the latter is less abundant. 

 Thus a rich growth of the Alaria esciilenta is often found in places 

 with a rapid current, down to a depth of about 5 — 6 fathoms. At 

 about the same depth, I have found enormous specimens, a fa- 

 thom long, of Chorda tomentosa in the rapid current where Haralds- 

 sund is narrowest. 



On stones and rocks below and among the Laminaria hijper- 

 borea, we often meet with different red algae e. g. Porphyra miniata, 

 Phyllophora Brodicei, Odonthalia dentata, and several of the algae that 

 grow epiphytically on Laminaria hijperhorea. Lastly Desmarestia 

 aculeata and D. viridis may be found abundantly down to a depth 

 of about 10 — 15 fathoms. So far as may be judged from the dred- 

 gings, these algae form often an almost pure Des/Tiares/za-association. 



The Laminaria hyperborea- assocmiion has already been men- 

 tioned in connection with the Faeroes by Simmons, who likewise 

 writes that the y> Laminaria hyperborea-forniaiion« is tlie most com- 

 mon on the coast of these Isles. It is indeed only absent where the 

 bottom is sandy right up to the beach. Witli the exception that the 

 epiphytic vegetation presents slight differences, the Laminaria-\ege- 

 tation of the Faeroes corresponds exactly with the Laminaria-forma- 

 tion on the west coast of Norway described by Boye (6, p. 5) and 

 Hansteen (38, p. 351); compare also Ekman (17, p. 4 — 5 and p. 10). 

 On the Shetland Isles I have had an opportunity of seeing a Lami- 

 narza-vegetation which corresponds with this association. Strom- 

 felt does not give any special account of the Icelandic Lami- 

 naria /iz/per^orea- association; but most likely a similar vegetation 

 must be found on the southern and western coasts of Iceland. 



The Lithoder ma- Association. 



On the coasts of the Faeroes, I have not seen this association 

 so typically developed as has been described by Kjellman (23, 

 p. 66) and Rosenvinge (45, p. 223). 



The reason is, probably, that the bottom in deeper water is of- 

 ten of sand or mud and therefore destitute of plants. In the places 

 where I found this association, the bottom was covered by peb- 

 bles. Lithoderma fatiscens grew here together with some other algae, 

 especially Floridece, whicli made the vegetation look somewhat 

 variegated. 



