100 



lion of the sparrow to native l)ir(ls: and of its relation to insects. Tii 

 dealinii' witli all these (piestions the ntniost care is taken to state fairly 

 and fully holh -ides of the (]uestion. and testimony from iinimpeaeh- 

 al»le sonrces is iiitrothiced freely throughout the hook. It is shoAvn 

 eoncliisively that the damage to agricultural ])roduets is immense, far 

 e.\ei>eding all |)ossil)le benefits conferred by the sparroAv; that its 

 presence sei'iously lessens the number of native birds; and that the 

 good it does by eating injurious insects is insignificant as c<)m]iared 

 >vith the damage done on every hand. 



^Methods of restriction and extermination are discussed at length; 

 bounties are shown to be inefficient; the use of poison is advocated; 

 and full directions are given for poisoning, shooting, and trapping. 

 A careful sunnnary of existing statutes follows, and recommendations 

 for future h^gislation are made. Then folloAv ICO pages of evidence in 

 detail, and the volume concludes M'ith a copious index and a colored 

 map showing the distril)ution of the sparrow in North America at the 

 end of the year 1886. 



XORTII AjUERICAX FaUXA. XoS. 1 AND 2. 



Under the above title two numbers of a strictly scientific character 

 have been published, the first containing a revision of the North 

 American l*ocket Mice, and the second, descriptions of new North 

 American Mammals, with revisions of grotips. 



DIVISION OF FORESTRY. 



lU'LLETIX No. :!. FElUiTAUY. 1880. 



The use of metal track ox railavays as a substitute for WOODEX' 

 TIES, E. E. E. Tratmax. C. E., axd B. E. Ferxow (pp. T-56).— This 

 is a preliminary report on the use of metal railroad ties as a substitute 

 foi" wooden ties in foreign countries and on other kindred matters. 

 A fidl rejiort on the same subject is to be issued soon. It is estimated 

 that there are not less than lO.OOO miles of metal track of various 

 types in the world, the lion's share (5.5:30 miles) belonging to Ger- 

 niany. India has about 1,800 miles; the Argentine Republic over 

 l.OOO miles; Austria, Switzerland, and Spain. 200 to 250 miles each; 

 Holland and Belgium, 125 miles each; and England, France, Africa, 

 Egypt. Algeria. Mexico, and other countries smaller amounts. In the 

 United States only insignificant trial> without definite results are 

 reported. 



Some 25() patents relating to metal railway track are briefly noticed 

 and a few varieties of metal ties are more fully discussed. About 

 "30.000 of the "* Post ties," which originated in Belgium, are in use. 

 ^Ir. Post, engineer of the Netherlands State Railway, in a paper on 

 '' ^laintenance Expenses," which is reprinted in this bulletin, states 

 that the cost of maintenance per kilometer [)er day ranges for periods 



