130 Records of the Indian Museum. [Vor V Eke 
Although water-plants occur in the lakes, they do not form the 
rank masses of vegetation that often choke small ponds in the 
vicinity. In the middle the bottom is composed, probably in al 
cases, of very fine mud; but little dredging has been undertaken. 
In Bhim Tal and Naini Tal a certain amount of fine silt is always 
held in suspension in the water; this is less conspicuously the 
case in Sat Tal and Malwa Tal, while the water of Naukuchia Tal 
is remarkable for its clearness. 
MALwa TAL, 
This lake, which was visited only in May, is situated in a 
narrow gorge some 3,000 feet in depth. The most striking feature 
of its fauna appears to be the great luxuriance of the Phylacto- 
laematous Polyzoa. 
The most abundant form was Fredericella indica, a species 
hitherto known, in an evidently depauperated phase, from lakes in 
the Western Ghats and in the plains of Travancore In Malwa 
Tal the species formed a luxuriant growth consisting of numerous 
vertical branches, sometimes as much as 35 mm. long, closely pressed 
together and entangled. It exhibited, however, no tendency to 
the formation of solid bodies such as are composed by the zoaria 
of ‘‘ Alcyonella.”” F. indica was found in greatest profusion at 
the east end of the lake, covering the under surfaces of stones 
in dense bushy masses ; but it also occurred, though more sparing- 
ly, in other parts of the lake on the stems of water-plants. The 
polypides were for the most part (in May) in a state of activity 
and very few statoblasts could be found in the zooecia. 
Plumatella diffusa was also abundant, but its polyparia were 
as a rule of small size. This species always forms recumbent 
colonies on flat horizontal or vertical surfaces but in some 
places the individual zosecia reach a greater length than is the 
case in Malwa Tal. The specimens were found most abundantly 
in this lake on the under surface of stones, in many cases together 
with Fredericella. Plumatella emarginata and P. allmani were 
both rare, the latter species being found on the stems of a rush. 
One of the most interesting animals found in the lake was a 
new species of S/olella, a genus allied to Plumatella and recently 
described from the Indo-gangetic plain. The new species (S. 
himalayana) grew on the lower surface of stones together with 
Fredericella and Plumatella, bat was very rare, only three Specimens 
having been obtained. It formed a sparse and absolutely flat 
growth and seemed in danger of being overwhelmed by the more 
vigorous species associated with it In all three specimens there 
were indications that active growth had not long been in progress 
and numerous minute colonies, in which it was evidently just 
starting, were found in the vicinity of the larger zoaria. In some 
cases the valves of a statoblast still adhered to the pair of poly- 
pides which as yet formed the whole polyparium. The typical 
form of Lophopodella carteri was found in abundance on the 
