Life and Scientific Work of Peter Guthrie Tait - School of Mathematics ...

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 29
Mathematical Society of Edinburgh, all Tait's original contributions to Science
are to be found either in his own books or in the publications of the Royal
Society of Edinburgh. For many a year hardly a month passed without
some communication from him bearing on a physical or mathematical problem.
But whether he himself had a communication to make or not, he was always
in his place to the right of the Chairman guiding the business of the Society
and frequently taking part in the discussions.
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is no longer tenant under Government of
the building in Princes Street known as the Royal Institution, the west wing
of which had been planned for the Society when the building was erected.
The need of more accommodation for the Society's unique library and for
the National Art Galleries of Scotland demanded some change ;
and
finally,
in 1907, by Act of Parliament the Royal Institution was wholly given up to
Art and the Royal Society was assigned a more commodious home in
George Street. A description of the old Meeting Room, of which now
only the outer wall remains, is not inappropriate in the memoir of one who
was for fully thirty years the most conspicuous of the Society's permanent
officials, and the most active contributor to its literature.
The arrangement of the room in which the meetings of the Society
were held was certainly not convenient for modern requirements, such as
experimental ;
demonstrations or lantern exhibitions but
there was a peculiar
dignity and old-world flavour about it which will long linger in the memory.
It is easily pictured —an oblong room with doors at the ends flanked by
crowded book-shelves. Along the east wall were two low book-cases, separated
by fire-place and blackboards, and surmounted by portraits of illustrious
Fellows such as Sir Walter Scott, Principal Forbes, Sir Robert Christison,
and Professor Tait himself; and along the west wall were five windows
looking towards the Castle. The President's Chair stood on a slightly
raised platform in the very centre of the west wall before the central
curtained window, and in front, running fully half across the width of the
room towards the reader's desk, was a large oblong table, round which the
members of Council were expected to sit. On this table the reader of the
paper of the evening would place his microscopes or specimens or objects of
interest. With the exception of the President and the leading officials, the
Fellows occupied cushioned benches looking towards the large central table.
The three secretaries sat invariably on the right of the Chairman, with their
eyes towards the north door through which the members entered the room.