194 



AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



There is a common proverb among the Chinese to the elTect, "The 

 Tailor-bird lays Goose eggs," which metaphor means, "A small thing 

 accomplishing much." This would indicate that the Tailor-brd is con- 

 sidered by the natives to be about the smallest bird in China. So far 

 as my observation goes I should say that it is. 



Harry R. Caldwell, Foochow. 



SAMMY? 



In 1897 while driving through the town of Andover, Maine on my 

 way to the Rangely Lakes, my driver told me that a farmer in the town 

 had captured a young eagle. I made him drive me to the house. Of 

 course I thought it was a Bald Eagle {Haliicetus leucocephalus) but I 

 was surprised and delighted to find a young Golden {Agiiila chrysaetos) . 



The man found the bird as he was coming from the lakes. He saw 

 a curious looking object lying on the ground in a field. He took a 

 rope and caught the bird, bound him and brought him home in his 

 wagon. He had fed the bird on fish alone for a month — a most unusual 

 diet for a Golden Eagle. 



I bought the bird and gave him all the meat he could eat, then boxed 

 him up and sent him to my home (Lancaster, Mass.) 



Since that time we always considered the bird a male and he has 

 always been called "Sammy". Imagine my surprise when on April 8, 

 1905 I found "Sammy" had laid an egg. 



On comparing it with several sets I found it was about the average 

 size. 



I have heard of Bald Eagles laying in captivity but not a Golden 

 Eagle. • John E. Thayer. 



