126 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO BULLETIN. [XX.2,3&4. 



(5) On August 26, 1919 a nest containing eggs was found near 

 Port-of-Spain by 0. Calvert. 



The nest is deep cup shaped and made of various materials. I 

 was informed by Mr. Shannon that the bird frequently places a large 

 leaf of prickly Solanum in the middle of the nest, but have not been 

 able to confirm this. 



The egg is ovate or elongate ovate, pale blue or green, evenly 

 speckled and spotted with sepia, some eggs are densely spotted at 

 ■one of the ends. 



Family TROGLODYTID^. Wrens. 



3. Troglody tides rufulus. Cab. The House Wren or God Bird. 



Troglodytes tobagenis Leotaud No. 88. 



This bird appears to be generally common and is far from shy 



It frequently nests inside houses. It is the species usually chosen by 



the parasitic " lazy bird " or " Oat Bird " {Molothrus atronitens q.v.) 



as a foster mother for its young. 



Nests have been found on the following occasions. 



(1) On November 23, 1918 on a ledge on the verandah of a house 

 on Gasparee. It contained one young and one egg just ready to 

 hatch. The nest was made of twigs and a few feathers, some of 

 which were quite large. When examined on February 22, 1919 this 

 nest was deserted. 



(2) On August 12, 1919 at Usine Ste. Madeleine on the verandah 

 of house, with two eggs. 



(3) O. Calvert records a nest of this species in Tobago in 

 August 1920 with 9 eggs. He saw a lazy bird enter this nest and > 

 later found an egg on the ground beneath which he believes was 

 thrown out by the lazy bird. Five eggs were taken, two of which 

 had a slightly more bluish ground than the others. 



(4) On October 6, 1920 a nest on a ledge in a corner of room in 

 a house in Maracas Valley. It contained two eggs, one of the house 

 wren and one believed to be the lazy birds' {Molothrus atronitens). 



(5) On November 14, 1920, nesting inside of verandah on 

 house at Maracas with several eggs. This nest was raided by a half 

 tame Trinidad squirrel (Sciurus cestaans) and the eggs sucked and the 

 shells thrown on to the ground. The parent birds made a clucking 

 sound when trying to frighten away the squirrel. 



(6) On December 21, 1920 another nest in the same house was 

 raided by the squirrel and three eggs destroyed. 



The eggs vary considerably in shape, being sometimes normal 

 €gg shape and sometimes almost spherical. They are pale reddish 

 JDrown finely mottled with darker red brown markings. 



