In taking this chair, it has been usual, when meetings have been held out of London, for your president to give some account of the works of his own town. In the present instance I feel that I can dispense with this course, in so far as that I need not do more than generally indicate what has been the course of events since I read to a largely attended district meeting in May, 1884, a paper on "The Public Works of Leicester." At that time large flood prevention works were in course of construction, under an act obtained in 1881, for continuing the river improvement works executed under previous acts. The works then under contract extended from the North Mill Lock and the North Bridge on the north to the West Bridge and Bramstone Gate Bridge on the south, along the river and canal, and included bridges, weirs, retaining walls, and some heavy underpinning works in connection with the widening and deepening of the river and canal. These works were duly completed, as well as a further length of works on the River Soar up to what is known as the old grass weir, including the Braunstone Gate Bridge, added to one of the then running contracts, at a total cost, excluding land and compensation, of L77,000. At this point a halt was made in consequence of the incompleteness of the negotiations with the land owners on the upper reach of the river, and this, together with various other circumstances, has contributed to greater delay in again resuming the works. In the interval, a question of whether there should be only one channel for both river and canal instead of two, as authorized by the act, has necessarily added considerably to the delay. But as that has now been settled in favor of the original parliamentary scheme, the authority of the council has been given to proceed with the whole of the works. One contract, now in progress, which members will have an opportunity of inspecting, was let to Mr. Evans, of Birmingham, in March last, for about L18,000. It consists of a stone and concrete weir, 500 feet in length, with a lock of 7 feet 6 inches lift and large flood basins, retaining and towing path walls, including a sunk weir parallel with the Midland Railway viaduct. This contract is to be completed by March next. The remainder of the works about to be entered upon include a new canal and flood channel about 1,447 yards long, and the deepening and widening of the River Soar for a length of about 920 yards, with two or three bridges. * * * * * THE CHEMISTRY OF THE COTTON FIBER. By Dr. BOWMAN.