PERIOPHTHALMUS 319 



oxygen in this way to satisfy its needs, thus enabling it to keep 

 all the rest of its body, including its gills, out of the water in- 

 definitely. 



Sir Francis Day expresses it well when he says : "They climb 

 on to trees and large pieces of grass, leaves, and sticks, hold- 

 ing on by their pectoral fins exactly as if they were arms. Now 

 and then they plant these firmly as an organ of support, the 

 same as one places one's elbows on a table, then they raise 

 their heads and take a deliberate survey of surrounding objects." 



This fish is very common in all parts of the Philippines, 

 abounding on rocky reefs, mud flats, in mangrove swamps, and 

 muddy estuaries, equally at home in them all. Though occa- 

 sionally seen for sale in the markets, it is not ordinarily caught 

 by the fishermen, except as it may be taken with other and more- 

 desirable fishes. 



The Bureau of Science collection contains the following spec- 

 imens, though ordinarily we purposely refrain from taking this 

 fish: 



Malabon, Rizal Province, 14. Dumaguete, Oriental Negros 



Olongapo, Zambales Province, 1. Province, 11. 



Limbones Bay, Batangas Prov- San Jose, Antique Province, 



ince, 1. Panay, 3. 



Ambil Island, 2. Busuanga, 2. 



Puerto Galera, Mindoro, 2. Balabac, 10. 



Romblon, 12. Zamboanga, Mindanao, 1. 



Tablas, 4. Davao, Mindanao, 1. 



Aroroy, Masbate, 4. Siasi, Sulu Province, 1. 



Guinobatan, Masbate, 1. Bungau, Sulu Province, 21. 



Port Sula, Cagraray Island, Sitankai, Sulu Province, 1. 



Albay Province, 3. Amoy, China, 8. 



Japan, 1. 



These specimens range in length from 30 to 102 millimeters. 

 Several specimens, 90 to 100 millimeters long, are breeding fe- 

 males, nearly ready to spawn, all of them taken in midsummer. 

 It has been recorded previously in the Philippines from Aparri, 

 Luzon, and from Ticao, Panay, Negros, and Cebu. 



Specimens reach a length of 250 millimeters, though I have 

 seen none of more than 150 millimeters from the Philippines, 

 and the usual length is not more than half of that. The species 

 occurs from the coast of China and Japan to northwestern 

 Australia, east to the Pelew and Samoan Islands, west to the 

 Red Sea and the Seychelles, and on the west coast of Africa at 

 Sierra Leone and southward in the Tropics. 



