1922.] TRINIDAD BIRDS. 151 



by the birds or whether snakes about to cast their skins find the mass 

 of twigs forming the nest a convenient brush for removing the old 

 skin. The presence of these skins is sufficiently frequent to earn 

 for these birds the name of " snake bird " in some places. 



Nests have been found on the foUowmg occasions : 



(1) On July 4, 1918 at La Fortunee sugar estate about twelve 

 feet from ground in a fork of a mangrove tree on the edge of the 

 Oropuche Lagoon. It contained four eggs, two of which were 

 distinctly larger, more pinkish, more oblong and with thinner shells 

 than the other two. Each of these contained a large embryo 

 without feathers on the head. 



The other two eggs were slightly smaller, more greenish in 

 colour, rounder in outKne, had a thicker shell and contained embryos 

 with a row of feathers on the head above each eye. 



The two birds attending this nest were shot and identified v/itn 

 comparative certainty as the Marsh Rootee (S. cinnamonea Gmel.). 



(2) On the same date and at the same locality another nest of the 

 Synallaxis sp ? was seen on a post projecting about two feet above 

 the surface of the water in the middle of a pond. The water in this 

 pond gradually rose during the wet season, but Mr. Creteau informed 

 me that the young hatched out and flew before the nest was 

 submerged. 



(3) On September 12, 1918, some birds (?the same) had built 

 another nest on the top of same post which was now only about 

 six inches above the water level. 



(4) On September 12, 1 9 1 8, a nest was found just above the door 

 inside a shed on La Fortunee estate. A bird was seen near the nest 

 evidently excited and on examination the nest was found to contam 

 a large rat and the remains of a small bird. The rat was killed and 

 on October 3, the nest contained two eggs, both white. 



(5) On September 29, 1918, a nest was found at Reform in the 

 fork of a tree about eight feet from ground. It contained two eggs. 

 On October 2 these were examined and one was smaller and with a 

 bluish tinge, the other larger and quite white. 



(6) On February 16, 1919, a nest about six feet from ground in a 

 citrus tree in San Fernando. It contained four bluish white eggs. 

 There was a snake skin in the material of the nest. On February 19, 

 .all the eggs had hatched. 



(7) On June 26, 1919, at Tarouba in a lime tree about four feet 

 from the ground, containing four eggs, three bluish green, the fourth 

 slightly larger and paler. One green egg examined contained a large 

 embryo. The white egg contained a much smaller one. 



