332 THE JOURNAL OF INDIAN BOTANY. 



Occurrence of the Volvocaceae 



The members of this group occur in different kinds of situation ; 

 rain-water pools, permanent pools, ponds, ditches, water tubs, paddy- 

 fields, streams, and tanks. They occur throughout the year but 

 attain their greatest development and occur as dominant forms only 

 during the summer monsoon season in the many small rain-water 

 pools that are then formed. During the colder season, though they 

 occur in various situations, they never reach the abundance noticeable 

 in the rain-water pools formed during the summer season, but occur 

 only as subordinate forms, though occasionally Volvox or Pleodorina, 

 may occur for very brief periods as dominant forms in certain waters. 

 I shall now take up the summer monsoon rain-water pools as being 

 the more interesting of the two. 



Summer rain-water pools 



After the first few summer showers, the water collected in the 

 various rain-water pools all over the place, begins to turn green. And 

 an examination of a drop of this green water shows countless numbers 

 of some member or members of the Volvocaceae. The following 

 genera have been collected by me in these pools during the summer 

 monsoon season : — Chlamydomonas, Carteria, Gonium, Pandorina, 

 Eudorina, and Volvox. All excepting Volvox were found in great 

 abundance. 



The behaviour of these organisms in the summer rain-water 

 pools is rather interesting. As was pointed out above, the rains 

 during this season are small in quantity and occur at frequent intervals. 

 During the rainless days succeeding a rainy day the water level in the 

 pool goes down gradually and when almost near the bottom a fresh 

 rain comes in and the level of the water goes up once more ; and this 

 process is repeated again and again throughout the season. 



A few days after the filling up of a pool, the level goes down 

 somewhat and a greenish scum is noticeable on the surface which 

 soon extends deeper and becomes greener. And an examination of a 

 drop of this green water shows large numbers of some member or 

 members of the Volvocaceae (mixed up of course with some diatoms, 

 and some other plankton algae, such as Scencdesmus, Coelastram, etc.). 

 As the level goes down, the water gets even more green in colour. 

 But when the pool gets filled up in the next rain, the green colour 

 does not get thinner through dilution but disappears totally. After 

 the level goes down somewhat again as before, a thin green scum is 

 formed and as the level goes down still more the colour deepens and 

 the organisms are seen in large numbers as before. And this interest- 

 ing process is repeated again and again. 



