306 GOBIES OF THE PHILIPPINES 



covered with many dusky spots ; the anal whitish with a narrow 

 dusky margin; the pectoral blackish margined by yellowish or 

 whitish; the ventrals white or faintly yellowish. 



Here described from nine type specimens, 47 to 68 millimeters 

 long, from Abra River, Bangued, Abra Province; nineteen co- 

 types, 50 to 63 millimeters long, from Laoag River, Ilocos 

 Norte Province, the largest one of which is a female with eggs 

 about half developed, and one cotype, 58 millimeters long, from 

 Titunod River, Kolambugan, Lanao Province, Mindanao; after 

 five years in alcohol it is deep brown, the markings blackish 

 brown. 



The Bureau of Science collection also contains specimens, 25 

 to 76 millimeters long, as follows: 



Buguey River, Cagayan Prov- Bangar, La Union Province, 



ince, 18. 130. 



Laoag River, Ilocos Norte Prov- Dumaguete River, Oriental Ne- 



ince, 16. gros Province, 4. 



Abra River, Ilocos Sur Prov- Zamboanguita, Oriental Negros 



ince, 1. Province, 1. 



In addition to the above, I have -a couple of thousand fry of this 

 species, 15 to 25 millimeters long, caught at the mouth of Abra 

 River, Ilocos Sur Province, and Bauang River, La Union Prov- 

 ince, or purchased as ipon at Vigan, Ilocos Sur Province. In all 

 probability this species is also present in our other catches of 

 ipon ; but, in fishes less than 15 to 18 millimeters long, scales are 

 not usually present, the teeth are not properly developed, and 

 the species of most ipon cannot be determined with exactitude in 

 the present state of our knowledge. Specimens, 15 to 20 milli- 

 meters long, have the characteristic crossbands, and the posterior 

 part of the body is scaled as far forward as iri line with the hind 

 end of the first dorsal; all forward of this line is still naked; 

 the spot below the eye is also present. 



This little fish is a very important source of ipon along the 

 Ilocano coast during the period from the last of August to 

 December, about three months, the exact dates fluctuating ac- 

 cording to weather conditions and other factors. 



This species is close to Sicyopterus longifilis Beaufort. 



Lacrymvsus, tearful. 



156. SICYOPTERUS CYNOCEPHALUS (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 



Sicydium cynocephalum CUVIER and VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. 

 12 (1837) 134, pi. 352; GUNTHER, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 3 (1861) 

 94; GRANT, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1884) 166; BOULENGER, Ann. & Mag. 

 Nat. Hist. VI 15 (1895) 185. 



