THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 29 



Mathematical Society of Edinburgh, all Tail'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. 



