NOTES AND QUERIES. 327 



has now been in use for two years on a large number of loco- 

 motives in Great Britain, in the British colonies, and in foreign 

 countries. It has been most successful both as regards economy 

 in the consumption of fuel and the prevention of the emission of 

 sparks from the chimney. This invention is used in England, 

 Scotland, Ireland, the British colonies, India, South America, 

 South Africa, and Japan, The demand for engines fitted with 

 this arrangement by companies who have tested its value as a 

 spark preventer and fuel economiser is greatly on the increase. 

 There have been no claims for damage by fire-throwing from 

 locomotives since the apparatus has been fitted to the locomotives 

 of these railways. The invention is not only of the utmost 

 importance to railway companies, both as a fuel saver and as a 

 safeguard against the occurrence of fires, but also appeals strongly 

 to the owners of property, either urban or agricultural, adjacent 

 to lines of railway. It may be mentioned that the law only pro- 

 tects railway companies from liability on account of losses arising 

 from fire-throwing when their locomotives are fitted with the 

 best known appliances for the prevention of the emission of 

 sparks. It therefore follows that, if the railway companies 

 neglect to apply an approved device, such as that under notice 

 they incur the certain penalty of having to pay for any damage 

 proved to be caused by fire-throwing by their locomotives. 



Water-Supplies — Afforestation of Catchment Areas. 



The following is a copy of a circular addressed to Local 

 Authorities in Scotland by the Local Government Board : — 



Local Government Board, 

 Edinburgh, Uh September 1903. 



Sir, — The Board of Agriculture having applied to the Local 

 Government Board for information as to the municipalities in 

 Scotland that have acquired the freehold or long leasehold of the 

 catchment areas from which their water-supplies are derived, I 

 am directed to request the Local Authority to favour the Board 

 by furnishing them with specific information on the various 

 points detailed in the appended schedule. 



In order that the Local Authority may fully understand both 

 the scope and object of the inquiry, I append for their information 

 (1) a copy of the letter addressed to this Board by the Boai-d of 

 Agriculture, and (2) a copy of a relative extract from the Report 



