— IO — 



of Africa in from 2614 to 4636 metres ; the most closely related 

 species, Ilycrinus complanatus , occurs from the Commander 

 Islands to southeastern Alaska in from 1 56j to 1.569 fathoms. 



Ptilocrinus antarcticus occurs in the antarctic regions south 

 of the region of Cape Horn in 480 metres, and Pt. brucei 

 occurs in the same region, but further to the east, in 2485 

 fathoms ; the third species of the genus, Pt. pinnatus, occurs 

 in the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, in 1 588 

 fathoms. 



These records, fragmentary as they are, indicate a close 

 faunal connection between the deep water bordering the 

 antarctic continent and the deep water off the western coast 

 of North and South America, exactly as the same thing is 

 indicated by the species of Florometra ; furthermore, they 

 indicate that there is a flow of water northward from the 

 antarctic along this coast even at great depths. Also the range 

 of the genus Ptilocrinus in the antarctic from 266 fathoms 

 (480 metres) to 2485 fathoms, a vertical range of 2219 fathoms, 

 indicates that here, quite contrary to what is found in the 

 arctic, physical, physiological and economic conditions are 

 essential} 7 the same at all depths. 



The Surface Currents in the North Pacific Basin. 



In order properly to appreciate the data presented by the 

 distribution of these antarctic crinoids, it is necessary briefly 

 to consider the main features of the circulation of the water 

 in the north Pacific basin. 



On the eastern shore the largest of the currents, and by far 

 the most important, is the warm current from the south carry- 

 ing water of high salinity known as the Kuro-Siwo or Japanese 

 current, which corresponds to the so-called Gulf Stream of the 

 western Atlantic. On reaching the coast of Japan and the 

 peninsula of Korea, the Kuro-Siwo divides into three parts ; 

 * the principal part advances along the southern coast of Japan ; 

 the second enters the Sea of Japan through the Straits of Korea 



