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This change appears to have put new life into the Society. From that period it made continual progress both in numbers and in social influence,

In October, 1837, a dinner was given by the Society to Professor Sedgwick, who had come to Leicester to investigate the Geology of Charnwood Forest.

In the summer of 1841 the Society's Museum of Geology, Natural History, and Antiquities was established. In February, 1843, it had grown to such importance that it was resolved to give free admission to the public during three days a week, and Mr. John Plant, then a young man, was appointed Curator. Mr. Plant has since became well-known in the scientific world, as the Curator of the Peel Park Museum, Salford, The public were greatly interested in the opening of the Museum, 5,000 persons being admitted during the first fortnight.

In 1849 the Museum was handed over to the Town Council, who, having adopted the Museums Act, and levied a half-penny rate, purchased for its reception, at a cost of £3,000, a building created twelve year previously for the Proprietary School. In this building if has remained for nearly thirty years.

The collection at that time contained about 10,000 objects. It has now about 22,000. Many of the original specimens, such as stuffed birds and insects, have decayed and been thrown away. In some cases this has happened twice over. Natural History specimens exposed to the light will only remain good for a limited period. The increase has, therefore, been more than would at first appear,

An arrangement was made between the Town Council and the Society, in an informal manner, not in writing, that the Society should retain the supervision of the Museum, should have rooms provided in the building for its meetings, should select the curator, and should pay £52 a year towards his salary. This arrangement, with slight modifications, was continued till the year 1872, and worked with remarkable smoothness and fair success. The half-penny rate, which realised at first only about £100 per annum, increased with the increase of the town, until in 1872 it produced about £450. But the whole of this was expended in salaries, repairs, new cases, and sundries. No specimens were purchased with it. The increase of the Museum collection depended entirely upon donations, a large part of which came from the Society. which continued to devote its funds to this purpose.

In 1872 & new régime was introduced, which is still in operation. The government of the Museum is now in the hands of a Special Committee, consisting of ten members of the Town Council, who appoint also six gentlemen, not members of the Corporation, as co-optative members of the Committee. The Council of the Society are entitled to recommend four of these six, The Committee thus constituted of sixteen members appoints six of its own body as Honorary Curators of the Museum, each with his own special department; and these Curators, who generally