144 GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



brown; a small circular dark spot on posterior part of upper 

 margin of eye; the fins all brownish or dusky, the first dorsal 

 with a broad clear band across middle and upper margin also 

 clear; the second dorsal and anal with three clear crossbars. 



Here described after an examination of two hundred five 

 specimens, ranging from 18 to 40 millimeters in length, the 

 males averaging much larger than the females; these fish were 

 picked out of masses of sinarapan, Mistichthys luzonensis, upon 

 which they were feeding when caught. Many of them had the 

 mouth greatly distended with sinarapan when captured, the 

 tails of as many as three or four protruding. Many of the males 

 were ripe and had the belly greatly swollen but none of the 

 females was in breeding condition. 



The Bureau of Science collection also contains five specimens, 

 from 28 to 45 millimeters in length, collected by Alejo G. Arce, 

 at Lake Buhi. 



Specimens were collected by Jagor at Lake Buhi and Lake 

 Bato, Camarines Sur Province, and two streams in either Albay 

 or Camarines, Kolab6s and Lebmanan. 



This remarkable species is noticeable for its shape, unusual 

 in gobies, for the extraordinary mouth and jaws of the males, 

 and for the fact, also unusual in gobies, that the males average 

 larger than the females. 



Since the above was written Mr. Lopez has collected exten- 

 sively in Camarines Sur Province, and I have examined three 

 hundred sixty-five additional specimens from Lake Buhi, from 

 15 to 40 millimeters in length. They were obtained January 24, 

 1926; many are gravid females ready to spawn. This species 

 reaches maturity when 24 millimeters or less in length ; the eggs 

 are numerous, rather large, greenish to whitish in color. 



Many specimens had the underpart of the head black; the 

 pectoral is usually golden or golden with a black tip. 



Mr. Lopez also obtained one hundred sixty specimens from 

 Lake Bato. From Buhi River, a tributary of Lake Buhi, he 

 obtained seventeen specimens, from 17 to 32 millimeters in 

 length, which present many differences from typical V. dispar. 

 They are more rotund, like ordinary gobies, the color is more 

 uniform golden yellow, the first dorsal has a broad blackish 

 band posteriorly from the top to the base, or in some the entire 

 upper and posterior part of the fin blackish. I therefore call 

 them variety aurea. 



These recently collected specimens show a wider range of 

 scalation than do my previous specimens. The scales are often 



