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REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 
themselves out too much. Everyone was the better for a knowledge 
of natural objects, but it should be the aim of the student to have a 
definite path. He might sometimes take a bye-lane, but should always 
come back again. A conchologist would only have interest in Botany as 
a subsidiary subject, and anyone would find the narrowest subject 
sufficient for leisure hours. At every meeting there should be some¬ 
thing on the edge of what is known. Popular objects interested a 
meeting, and diffusiveness had its uses, but a special line was the 
highest development of Natural History. The stock beauties of 
Nature brought in and interested young members, yet the true object 
of such study was to find out somethingmore than was already known. 
After the usual votes of thanks to retiring officers, Messrs. J. Moore 
and J. Rodgers were unanimously elected Vice-Presidents. 
LEICESTER LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 
—Section D. At the evening meeting on Wednesday November 21st, 
the Chairman, Mr. F. T. Mott, F.R.G.S., read a short paper on “ The 
Amphibians and Reptiles of Leicestershire,” which was followed by a 
discussion on the variation of colour in the frog. Mr. E. F. Cooper 
believed that fear caused a rush of blood to the skin, thus darkening the 
colour. Mr. Vice thought that frogs were darker when in water than on 
the land. It was further suggested that they were probably yellower after 
casting the skin, and that like the chameleon and some other reptiles 
they had power to vary their colour at will. The Chairman announced 
the presentation to the Society, for the special use of Section D, of a 
cabinet containing 100 microscopic slides of British diatoms, admirably 
mounted and named, the gift of Mr. F. Bates, who was now unable to 
attend the meetings of the Section, but desired to express his continued 
interest in its welfare. The following resolution was moved by Mr. E. 
F. Cooper, seconded by Dr. Cooper, and carried unanimously :—“ That 
the members of Section D present their cordial thanks to Mr. Bates 
for his very handsome and valuable gift, and are much gratified to 
learn that he will remain a member of the Section.” The next 
business was an exhibition of ferns—British and foreign—a number 
of very interesting collections being displayed, viz. : By Dr. Cooper, 
fresh fronds of about 20 foreign species; by Mr. Turner, dried 
specimens of South African and of remarkable varieties of British 
species ; by Mr. Vice, a collection of British species ; by Mr. E. F. 
Cooper, a large collection of British specimens and of foreign ferns 
mostly grown by himself; by the Chairman, a number of the rarer 
British ferns, and several series showing the development from the 
spore ; by Mr. J. T. Thorpe, a very fine collection of dried fronds, 
mostly grown by himself, and mounted on sheets of elephant-folio 
size. By comparison of the different exhibits much information was 
gained, and many specimens identified which were previously 
unnamed. Mr. Grundy then exhibited a living specimen of the 
curious and rare slug, Testacella viangci , which burrows in the soil, 
feeding upon earth-worms. This specimen was found near Bristol. 
The Chairman exhibited a specimen of the rare fungus Geaster 
Bryantii , found near Leicester, and some large examples of the very 
destructive dry-rot fungus, Merulius lacrymans, in several stages of its 
development. 
