24 Journal of the Asiatic Society of 'Bengal. [January, 1907. 



Perty, was abundant. 



Protozoon Ceratinm long 



tarn 



gnl 



this was the case also as regards sevei^al other lakes at about the 

 same altitude which I had not time to visit. Naini Tal is somewhat 

 smaller than Bhim Tal and now not quite so deep. Its water 

 was by no means clear, and the leaves of the numerous water- 

 plants in it were covered with a hard mineral deposit, possibly due 

 to the large amount of lime which exists in the neighbouring rocks. 



So far as I have been able to discover, the only lower 

 Invertebi^te hitherto recorded from the lakes has been Ceratinm 

 humaonense^ which was described by Carter as long ago as 1871, 

 in the Annals and Magazive of Natural History^ vol. VII, p. 229. 

 This organism multiplies greatly from time to time, giving 

 the water, according to Carter's informant, a "rusty brown" 

 colour. Mr, R. K. Ruxton, of Bhim Tal, tells me that when this 

 occurs, or at any rate w^hen the water "turns like blood,*' the 

 natives of the district believe that the god of the lake is angry 

 and demanding a human sacrifice. 



Collections of Protozoa, Oligochseta, Rotifers and Entomo- 

 stracous Crustacea were made both in Bhim Tal and in 

 Naini Tal ; but these will be submitted to specialists in Europe 

 who have been kind enough to undertake their description. 

 Several forms of Polyzoa (Lophopus and Plumatella)^ with which 

 I hope to deal later, w^ere also found in Bhim Tal. I was 

 disappointed not to find in any of the lakes, or in smaller pools in 



spots were examined. 



Hydra, although many likely 



Spongilla carteki, Bowerbank. 



Probably the only growing Sponge taken in Bhim Tal (a 

 minute specimen attached to a floating water-plant) should 

 be referred to this species ; but its immature condition and the 

 total absence of gemmules renders the identification a little 

 doubtful. There can be no doubt, however, as regards the 

 numerous gemmules of S. carteri, which were found floating on 

 the surface both of the lake itself and of other bodies of w^ater 

 in its vicinity. These gemmules were quite normal and agreed 

 in every particular with those produced in the Calcutta tanks. 

 The consistency of this Sponge differs very greatly in different 

 pools even in the same vicinity. It appears to be, so far as can 

 be said at present, the most widely distributed in India of the 

 Indian species. 



Ephydatia robusta (Potts). (Fig^ 7.) 



•■^!^ool^ ^^^^,^*^ ^^i^f i^ ^^«c. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 

 xxxix. (1887), p 225 pi. ix., fig. 5. Ephydatia robusta (Potts) 



