96 REPORT — 1869. 



Whereas, however, the stomachs of the adult birds contained chiefly grain 

 and but a small proportion of insect-remains, it proved to be entirely the 

 reverse as regards the young birds. Out of the 73 he examined, the sto- 

 machs of 46 contained insects, larvse, caterpillars, &c., and only 9 contained 

 vegetable matter alone. Of the remaining stomachs 10 contained the re- 

 mains of insects mixed with a few seeds, 7 contained chiefly seeds with a 

 small proportion of insect-remains, and 1 contained eggshells and small 

 stones without trace of anything else. 



Our American cousins have recognized the utility of the sparrow, and have 

 introduced it into New York, where it is now found comparatively numerous, 

 and has been most useful in keeping the trees free from caterpillars, which 

 before its introduction threatened seriously to injure them. 



Our thrushes and blackbirds are also most useful to the gardener from 

 the quantities of slugs and snails thej- destroy, and our rook is universally 

 acknowledged to be a most useful bird. 



Much information as to the nature of the food of birds is, however, yet 

 needed in order to judge correctly of the amount of good or harm they do ; 

 and it would be well if the question were fully ventilated in the newspapers, 

 and naturalists resident in diff'erent parts of the country encouraged to make 

 investigations as to the nature of the food of the diSerent species of birds, 

 and compare the results of such investigations. 



Your Committee felt, however, sure that the good done by birds will be 

 found largely to predominate over the harm, and that it will prove expedient 

 to afford them protection during the breeding-season. 



It is, however, a measure that will require considerable time to carry 

 through, and we would suggest that the best mode of affordiug the necessary 

 protection to birds would be to prohibit the carr}T.ng of a gun during the 

 breeding- season, as is now done in several parts of the continent, as, for 

 instance, in Switzerland, some parts of Prance, &c. In the United States of 

 North America, where freedom of action exists more perhaps than anywhere 

 else, the close-time system is to a large extent carried out, and has proved 

 most beneficial, though, as may be supposed, it is most difficult to enforce in 

 a thinly popidated country. 



Much information is, however, yet needed as to the practical working of the 

 close-time system in those countries where it has been in force, and your 

 Committee hope ere long to be able to procure reliable particulars on this 

 point. 



Generally it is said to work excelleutly, and, far from interfering with the 

 game-preservers, it has been found to act in harmony with their views. 

 Were it enforced here in England it would have the good effect of stopping 

 the damage done by idle men and boys, who on Sundays are in the habit 

 of soing out in the neighbourhood of the towns to shoot small birds. 



Experimental Researches on the Mechanical Properties of Steel. 

 Btj W. Fairbairjt, LL.D., F.R.S., ^x. 



In my last Report I had the honour of submitting to the Association an 

 experimental inquiry into the Mechanical properties of Steel, obtained from 

 the difi'ercnt sources of manufacture in the United Kingdom. On that occa- 

 sion several important experiments were recorded from specimens obtained 



