196 HISTORY OF OUR SOCIETY. 
egate to the Conference of Delegates of Scientific Societies 
at the British Association Meeting at Birmingham, and 
reading a paper on Geological work done in the field, which 
did much to establish his reputation as a practical geologist. 
The third period of five years, 1887-1892, was under the 
Presidentships of Mr. Horace Brown, Dr. Mason, and Mr. 
T. Knowles. In connection with Mr. Brown’s President- 
ship it is interesting to note how much the personal element 
has affected the success of our Society. At the commence- 
ment of this period, although holding a substantial balance 
at the bank, our list of members was at its lowest, and 
Dr. Morris took over the Honorary Secretaryship condition- 
ally on Mr. Horace Brown accepting the office of President ; 
these two together rapidly worked the Society up into a 
more vigorous state, personally introducing between thirty 
and forty new members. Mr. Horace Brown’s papers have 
been numerous, and on a great variety of subjects; and 
invariably most interesting and attractive. ‘‘A Chapter in 
the Physical Geography of the Past” was both generally 
and locally interesting, and ‘‘The Permian Rocks of the 
Leicestershire Coal Fields’ was the parent paper to one 
read before the Geological Society. ‘‘A Grain of Barley” 
has been frequently quoted as one of the best short expo- 
sitions of this subject in the English language, and no 
local Society could have a more suitable paper, with the 
staple industry of the town dependent entirely upon the 
subject treated. ‘‘*A Tour in Norway”? was a more popular 
subject perhaps, and was most charmingly illustrated. 
The subject matter of the papers read at this time is 
equally varied with that of the papers read during the 
previous years. Special local scientific work, which appears 
to me the most valuable of all work for such a Society, 
is still to be noted, and of this Messrs. Nowers and Wells’ 
paper on “ The Salt Marsh at Branstone,” and Mr. Knowles’ 
paper on ‘Ancient Burton Manuscripts” are good examples. 
