24 GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



transverse blackish blotch in front of first dorsal; a broad 

 blackish crossband passes from base of first dorsal down side, 

 and a like one goes from second dorsal, while a third crosses 

 caudal peduncle; a black blotch is at the end of the caudal 

 peduncle just in front of base of caudal ; a series of five blackish 

 blotches extends along middle of side, the last forming a black 

 spot on base of caudal ; below them is a series of blackish spots 

 on each scale forming a series of longitudinal lines, leaving only 

 the pale or white belly, throat, and underside of head unmarked ; 

 snout and top of head marked with irregular spots and longitu- 

 dinal blackish stripes ; the first dorsal has a basal black band and 

 another broad one very close to the margin ; second dorsal, pecto- 

 rals, and caudal beautifully crossbarred by irregular blackish 

 bands or rows of spots; upper surface of ventrals dusky. I 

 have fifty-four handsome specimens marked like the preceding, 

 collected by Mr. F. Reveche, of San Jose, Antique Province, 

 Panay; they are from 48 to 86 millimeters long. A large speci- 

 men, 133 millimeters long, was collected in a creek at Bangui, 

 Ilocos Norte Province, in August, 1926. The species is said to 

 be common there in the hills. I also have two fine specimens 

 from barrio Cajulogan, Gingog, Misamis Province, Mindanao, 

 the larger 147 millimeters long. 



This species was collected by Jagor at Loquilocon, Samar, 

 and in Burauen River, Leyte. Meyer collected it in Luzon, 

 probably at Santa Cruz, a town at the upper end of Laguna de 

 Bay, where he spent some time. In the reference cited the 

 locality is given as "Bahia de Manila," but this is undoubtedly 

 an error, since on page 7 he includes it in a list of ten species 

 obtained only in fresh water, while Manila Bay is salt water. 



The species was originally described from Bantam, the west- 

 ernmost district of Java, and was collected afterward in Celebes 

 and the Solomon Islands. This is such a peculiar, discontinuous 

 distribution that it must also occur in many of the intervening 

 islands, and is certainly to be expected in Borneo. I am certain 

 that it must occur in all the large islands of the Philippines, 

 from Mindanao northward. I have seen what I believe to be 

 this species in the mountain streams near Malaybalay, Bukid- 

 non, but was unable to secure specimens. It lives in swift 

 mountain streams, clinging to the rocks and slipping around 

 and under them when disturbed, and is very difficult to dislodge 

 or collect. It seems to congregate particularly on large bowlders 

 which give it absolutely safe hiding places. 



