1g12.| N. ANNANDALE and S. Kemp: Kumaon Lakes. 135 
In May almost all the margin was occupied by a dense belt of 
water-weeds, many of which possesed very long stems and grew 
from considerable depths. ‘These weeds afforded support to large 
colonies of Lophopodella carteri and Fredericella indica and it 
was noticed that L. carter? invariably lived on the upper parts 
of the stems, extending to within a foot or so of the surface, while 
F. indica always occupied a lower position. ‘Together with these 
polyzoa large colonies of Vorticellids were conspicuous, more 
particularly near the surface of the water. The only sponge 
observed was Ephydatia fluviatilis, which grew both on the stems 
of water-plants and on the under surface of stones on the western 
bank. 
The scarcity of aquatic insects was again a very noticeable 
feature ; but a leech of the predaceous family Herpobdellidae which 
seemed to be rare in the other lakes was not uncommon under 
stones. 
In May the plankton was decidedly richer than in Sat Tal. 
Copepods were comparatively abundant and Rotifers of the family 
Anuraeidae were by no means uncommon. Cevatium was exceed- 
ingly scarce; the few specimens observed had the same form as 
those found in Malwa Tal. 
At the northern end of Naini Tal, situated at an elevation 
of about 7,000 ft., there is a small temporary sheet of water 
bearing the name of Suka Tal. In May, 1gtI, this was completely 
dried up, but from earth brought back to Calcutta and placed 
in an aquarium a few Cladocera and Ostracoda were reared. It 
was in Suka Tal in October, 1906, and May, 1909, that specimens 
of an interesting Anostracous crustacean, Pristicephalus priscus, 
were obtained. This species, which has recently been described by 
Prof. von Daday,! seems to be restricted to the Western 
Himalayas. It has been found in two localities in the Simla Hills 
and, in addition to Suka Tal, at Bhowali, a village on the road 
between Bhim Tal and Naini Tal. In May, 1911, the species 
seemed to be entir-ly absent from small pools in the vicinity of the 
Kumaon lakes, although it was abundant in 1907 in the same 
months near Simla. The erratic appearance and disappearance 
of the species of Branchiopoda is well known. 
The table on the next page illustrates the distribution of 
Porifera and Polyzoa in the five principal lakes of the district. 
None of our specimens are from deep water, none having been 
procured: rom a greater depth than about 6 feet. 
1 «Mon. Syst. Phyllopodes anostracés”’ (Ann. Sc. Nat, Zool. (Paris), 9e série, 
XI, p. 224, fig. 29; 1910). 
