438 DR. S. F, HARMER ON THE 



away. The ram is a pump wbicli raises spring-water from another 

 source for use in the house and other buildings. From infor- 

 mation suppUed by Mr. Newill, the Plumatella is found in the 

 open pool (from which the sample examined was obtained), in 

 the copper strainer at the beginning of the pipe from the pool to 

 the tank, in the same pipe, in the feed-tank, in the pipe leading 

 from the tank to the ram, and in the ram-house. The middle 

 parts of the pipes were said to be less afiected than the parts 

 near the tank and the ram. Considerable trouble had been 

 experienced in 1911 ; and it is expressly pointed out that the 

 Polyzoon ceases to grow about August. In May 1912, when I 

 received the sample, the Polyzoon. was in vigorous growth. The 

 nature of the trouble was of the same kind as at Torquay, and 

 consisted in the choking of the pipes and in the blocking of the 

 ram to such an extent that it ceased to work. Unsuccessful 

 attempts had been made to check the growth by the use of copper 

 sulphate. With the Polyzoon were found multitudes of bright 

 red " worms," of a greenish hue when young and dark red when 

 mature. They are described as being marked by dark bands, as 

 growing to a length of one-half to three-quarters of an inch, and 

 of having the habit of changing their skins, " which float on the 

 water." From these indications tliere is a high probability that 

 the animals in question were Dipterous larvfe, probably of some 

 species of Chironomus, as in the case of the Diptera found at 

 Torquay. 



Mr. Newill infoi-ms me that sand-filters will be installed in the 

 spring of the present year. 



(3) Batley. 



The first intimation of trouble at Batley was received from the 

 Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew ; but I later obtained 

 samples from Mr. J. C. Barrowclough, the Waterworks Engineer 

 at Batley, who kindly gave me information on the subject. The 

 Polyzoa sent belonged to Fredericella sultana, and they had been 

 responsible for trouble of the usual kind — namely, blocking of 

 the meters, strainers, etc. In the sample examined the meter 

 had been' fixed on Aug. 19, 1912, and was removed on Oct. 16 

 completely choked by branches of the Fredericella. The supply 

 of these waterworks is obtained from a moorland gathering- 

 ground on the Pennine Chain, " having large impounding 

 reservoirs, but no form of filters." The trouble had been known 

 to exist for a long time, but it had been ascribed to peat and 

 other deposits. An examination of the trunk-main had recently 

 been made on account of its reduced capacity through incrus- 

 tation. The large quantity of iron-compounds found in a dry 

 sample of this incrustation points to the presence of Iron- 

 Bacteria, though no certain evidence of their presence was dis- 

 covered. It is stated by Mr. Barrowclough that the autumn is 

 the time when special trouble is experienced. As in the other 



