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



(8) On June 27, 1919, Mr. Shannon reported finding a nest in a 

 low bush in a pasture at Harmony Hall, containing a snake skin in the 

 materials. The nest was scarcely above the level of the grass. 



(9) On June 29, 1919, a nest quite exposed m a small bush m a 

 garden at Reform about four feet above the ground. It contamed 

 three eggs two of which were typical pale blue-green, the third 

 about the same shape, slightly larger and pale pinkish white. One 

 blue green egg was taken and found to be quite freshly laid. 



(10) On September 15, 1919, a nest in a bush about six feet from 

 the ground at Tarouba contained one egg. It appeared from the 

 outside of the nest to be of the " blue-green " variety. On 

 September 19, the nest was examined again and contained three eggs, 

 two pure white and one pale bluish yellow. There were pieces of 

 snake skin in the nest materials. 



It will be seen from the above records that in nests of Syp.aUaxis 

 there are very commonly two different types of eggs : 



(a) Smaller, bluish white or greenish white, rounder and with 



a thicker shell, 

 (i) Larger, pinkish white or white, more oblong and with a 

 thinner shell. 

 I can throw no light on the meaning of this. The difference in 

 the embryos found in the first nest would indicate that they belong to 

 two different species of bird, but whether it is two species of 

 Synallaxis occupying the same nest or whether one is a parasitic bird 

 I do not know. There is in some birds a great variety of egg colour 

 and according to Mr. A. H. Clarke in some pigeons the first laid eggs 

 have more pigmentthan the later ones, but it is difficult to imagine 

 the jame bird regularly laying eggs different in size, shape, colour and 

 thickness of shell, in addition to the differences found in the embryos. 

 Of the nests containing eggs : 



No. I contained 2 of type (a) and 2 of type {b). 

 No. 4 2 



No. 5 I 1 



No. 6 4 



No. 7 3 i 



No. 9 2 1 



No. 10 1 2 



If one of the eggs is laid by a parasitic species it is difficult to say 

 from these figures which egg belongs to it and which to the host. 



Food. Two birds identified as the Marsh Giouiti {S. cinnamonea) 

 were shot on July 4, 1918, at La Fortunee on the edge of the Oropuche 

 Lagoon. One contained two froghoppers, a small spider, several 

 small beetles and numerous other insect remains ; the other contained 

 one froghopper, one ant, one red mite (Trombidium), and 

 miscellaneous insects, chiefly beetles. 



