816 



things may be carried to the Faeroes, but also from the west coast 

 of Norway. According to R\^der we must suppose that there 

 is a large circulation north of the F?er6es between Iceland and Nor- 

 way. Tliis circulation is formed by the East Icelandic Polar Current 

 to the west and the current along the coast of Norway to the east. 

 Ryder thinks, that tlie northern part of the circulation is formed 

 bj' a current wiiich goes from the northern part of Norway at 

 about Lofoten in a north-westerly and westerly direction towards 

 Jan Ma^^en, and then southward along the east coast of Iceland 

 (the East-Icelandic Polar Current), and finally south westw^ards to 

 the Faeroes. From here the current again runs in a north-easterly 

 direction to the west coast of Norw^ay, after having touched the Shet- 

 land Isles. It is also very probable, that the great distance which 

 the algae have to float, if they are carried round the whole circle, can 

 be much shortened, when the winds are favourable. If we look 

 at Ryder's map of bottles thrown overboard from the »Antarctic«, 

 we find, that a bottle (No. 15) thrown out at about 250 miles N. E. 

 of Langanes is believed by Ryder to have been carried first in a 

 south-westerly, then in a south-easterly direction, in a large curve 

 close past tiie Faeroes, and to have been washed ashore on the north 

 coast of Norw^ay. 



If algae can now be carried from the west coast of Norway out 

 into the North Sea, some of them may have a chance of being car- 

 ried to the Faeroes. Fortunately Prof. H. H.Gran has kindly com- 

 municated to me an observation made by him during his expedi- 

 tion in tlie North Sea (from May to June 1904). He writes that he 

 found floating seaweed with epiphytes all over tlie North Sea. He 

 has sent me extracts from his journal regarding some of the places 

 between BT*^ 44'— 62^ 57' N. Lat. and 11 MO' W. L.— 6^ 22' E. L., 

 that is to say, midway between Iceland and Norway, and on both 

 sides of the route which Ryder supposes the above mentioned bottle 

 to have taken. There can hardly be any doubt, that such algae 

 floating far out in the North Sea can be carried to the Faeroes, 

 if the wind is favourable. 



As to the third possibility for the immigration of algae, namely 

 from Iceland, the currents are even highly favourable. As will 

 be seen on Ryder's map, the current from East Iceland goes straight 

 downi to the Faeroes, and algae can thus easily be carried from East 

 Iceland to the Faeroes. But as the hydrographic conditions differ 

 greatly on this part of the coast of Iceland from those at the Faer- 



