FAUNA OF THE CHESS AND GADE. 337 



On going over my notes to collect the material for the genus 

 Metopidia, I expected to find the records of M . lepadella to be 

 more frequent. With the exception of some doubtful finds in 

 1912, chiefly in waters connected with the lower Gade, the only 

 time at which a good number of specimens was obtained was on 

 July 21st, 1913, when about ten specimens were taken from the 

 inner moat at Berkhamsted Castle. At that time the water in 

 the moat was up to the level of the culvert at the south-eastern 

 part, a great quantity of fresh and green weeds was present, 

 and the forms of life, from infusorians to Water Newts, were 

 numerous. Since that time, with the exception of a few 

 Floscularias and some specimens of Stephanops lamella ris, no 

 Eotifers of any importance have been obtained by me from the 

 moats. During the dry weather of the ensuing months, 

 evaporation and percolation into the underlying chalk caused 

 the water to disappear until, at the end of September, many 

 parts were dry. In October and November the moats were drier 

 still; on January 27th, 1914, they were quite dry, and it was 

 not until the spring of this year that I again found much water 

 in the moats. It was much the same with many of the pools. 

 The evaporation and percolation no doubt vary greatly in the 

 different pools, and small springs may compensate, in some of 

 the pools, for part of the loss by these agencies. However this 

 may be, the water level of every pool sank, and, in particular, 

 the pools of Langleybury, Parsonage Farm, Chesham Eoad, 

 Cholesbury Common, and Wigginton became very low, while 

 less permanent pools, such as those at Leverstock Green, 

 became dry. Chipperfield Common Pool, which usually main- 

 tains its level very well, was also low ; on April 13th last, for 

 instance, its water-level was a foot below the normal. 



Not only were the pools low, but their weeds, at other times 

 so fresh and green, were in a state of decomposition, and what 

 water there was had a decidedly pungent and unpleasant smell. 

 It seemed to be natural that, under such conditions, important 

 finds of Metopidia or of most other Rotifers could not be 

 obtained. These remarks on the way in which the Eotiferan 

 fauna of the country of the Chess and Gade is liable to be 

 impoverished will not, I trust, be considered uninteresting. 



Eeference has already been made to some doubtful records, 



Zool. 4th set. vol. XVIII., September, 1914. 2 d 



