On the Fauna of a Madras pond and its 
Monthly l/ariations. 
(Bt a. SAMBASIVAN, B.A., Government Scholar, Presidency 
College, Madras.) 
Communicated by Dr. Bourne. 
The following notes upon the fauna of a pond in the 
Chepak gardens liave foi'ined the subject of many observa- 
tions conducted throughout a complete year. The subject 
was taken up at the suggestion of Professor Bourne, of the 
Presidency College to whose constant aid and numerous 
suggestions I am deeply indebted. 
The pond is situated in the compound of the house 
attached to the Engineering College, and has not dried up, 
nor undergone alterations during the last half-century if 
one can believe the hearsay evidence of the gardeners. * The 
water is but very slightly brackish although the pond is 
situated within 300 yards of the sea. My object in these 
investigations was twofold. In the first place I wished to 
place on record a complete list of the fauna of such pond 
and in the second to ascertain how the fauna was affected 
by the varying seasons, with regard to this latter question 
I found that some organisms flourished in quantities 
throughout the year, while some were only to be found 
during certain, and others though always to be found 
^ It is probably untrue that it has never dried up within that period, 
it is certainly absolutely dry now (April 1891) and although this is a 
period of great drought there have been within the last fifty years other 
periods of even greater drought. On the other hand it is a pond which is 
not in the habit of drying up during the hot weather. 
