405 



abound to such an extent among the branches of the Utricularia, 

 that the proportion the plant actually consumes must be very small 

 compared to the number that escape. Many Algae grow abundantly 

 on the Utricularias so as to form an objectionable mass when death 

 of the plants set in, which rather negatives any use they may be of 

 in cleaning the water. 



The Algae of the Malay Peninsula have not as yet been studied. 

 Those of Java have been listed, described and figured in the Algues 

 de Flore de Buitenzorg by E. WlLDEMAN but I have seen many 

 which I could not identify with any described in that, work even 

 generically. 



Among the Algae which seem to be specially objectionable in 

 fouling water to a large extent is one which appears to be Crenothrix 

 Kuhniana, or a closely allied species. It consists of very fine fila- 

 ments of no great length and of a rusty orange colour. It is 

 extremely abundant in place-; where the water runs slowly or is stag- 

 nant and in shallow water especially where it passes over ferruginous 

 gravel forms large fiocculent masses of an orange colour. In rapidly 

 moving water it does not seem to occur, at least abundantly except 

 that in rivulets where the water is moving very "rapidly it frequently 

 forms a coating on the ground or on the sides of the stream where 

 the flow of water moves most slowly. It does not apparently occur 

 in the deeper parts of ponds or rivers. It grows however with other 

 Algae on the branches and stems of Chara, Utricularia, etc. and is 

 easily detected by its orange colour. After a time it produces im- 

 mense abundance of cocci which move briskly about in the water, 

 but eventually by dividing pass into the zooglea stage. These cocci 

 are rounded and aggregate into irregular masses joined together by 

 a gelatinous matter. These masses of zooglea float on the surface 

 of the water or encrust leaves, etc. beneath the water, unlike the rod- 

 like from which sinks in water. They are apt to putrify and exhale 

 a most unpleasant odour. In the swampy spots in the forests this 

 Alga is extremely abundant, coloring the rotten leaves of a bright 

 orange or duller orange-red, and in these spots we find a fauna of 

 animals adaptively colored to render themselves inconspicuous. 

 Among these are the red tortoise, Geomyda spinosa, the large red 

 frog, Rana macrodon, and the small red Python, Python curtus. 



From these shallow breeding grounds the Alga is carried by 

 streams to ponds and lakes. At the Impounding Reservoir, I found 

 after a windy day small masses of orange coloured froth blown up 

 on the shore. This examined by the microscope showed that its 

 orange colour was due to immense numbers of cocci, free and ag- 

 glutinated. The water of one of the stand-pipes in Tanglin was 

 observed to be tinted with yellow. I was unable to detect this Alga 

 however being in very small quantity till I treated the water with 

 copper-sulphate. A few days after a precipitate of an orange 

 colour was found at the base of the jar, which on examination proved 

 to consist of the cocci of this plant. 



This Alga is extremely abundant in the Botanic Gardens. At the 

 head of the lake there is an inflow of water from beneath the road, 



