64 
Meters near the islands to 4—500 Meters in a distance of ca. 20 
_30 miles to the North and South. The deep water continues 
very ciose to the small Island of Godan and sends a tongue down 
almost to the point Ngidioen; similarly from the South a tongue of 
deep water continues towards the same point, only a very narrow 
ridge beiween Ngidioen and Godan, with a depth of ca. 70 Meters, 
separating the two continuations of the deeper water to the North 
and the South of the Islands Godan and Er. 
In the Strait between Great and Little Kei the 400 Meter line 
goes rather far South, but in the middle part of the Strait depths 
of somewhat less than 400 Meters are found, thus forming a ridge 
between the deeper waters to the North and to the South of the 
Strait, the depths sinking rather abruptly to the South, as shown 
by the “Siboga”. Along the coasts the depth increases very rapidly, 
the littoral area being here rather narrow. Especially off Elat there 
was found to be a very steep ridge, the depth increasing almost 
abruptly from ca. 100 to ca. 400 Meters. 
While in the Bay of Ambon the bottom was found very irregular, 
offering considerable difficulties to dredging, it was an agreeable 
surprise to find the bottom in the Kei-area generally very good, 
regular sand- or, in the deeper parts, mud bottom, so regular that 
in many places it would even be possible to use an otter trawl. 
Of course, nearer the Coastal ridge the bottom is less regular and 
here the dredge not rarely caught hold in the bottom; but, upon 
the whole, the bottom proved very favourable to dredging. In one 
place (Station 47) several stones, in another place (St. 49) several 
large sand concretions came up, containing several burrowing or- 
ganisms. 
The result of the dredgings in the depths from ca. 200— ca. 
400 Meters was, upon the whole, most satisfactory, showing con 
clusively that the genuine abyssal fauna, which was first 
met with in 129 fathoms S. of Taam, occurs all over this 
area. 1 may name a few of the more prominent forms, various 
Elasipods and Echinothurids {Hapalosoma pellucidum in places quite 
common), Cidarids in considerable numbers, Micropyga, Hemipe- 
dina, Zoroaster, various Brisingids, Calliaster, Ophiotholia, Åstro- 
schema, Metacrinus, Hyalonema, Kophobelemnon, Culeolus etc. As 
regards stalked Crinoids this area is exceptionally rich. To the four 
