2 Proceedings of the 'Royal Society of Edinburgh. [Sess. 
novel type. These were always marked by singular ingenuity, and designed 
so that they do the work for which they were made with the greatest 
possible accuracy. Lord Kelvin was a great mathematician. We all 
remember the “ green books,” always at hand, in which he worked out the 
mathematical analysis of the data obtained in his experiments, and of any- 
thing else he wished to subject to mathematical treatment. He was never 
at a loss to find the mathematical key. He made no show of abstruse 
formulae. In his mathematical as in his experimental work he took the 
most direct and the simplest way consistent with accuracy. Lord Kelvin 
was no intellectual miser. When, in the course of his scientific work, he 
came across something which could be so applied as to be of practical 
use, he developed this application, and thus became the inventor of 
truly scientific instruments, differing in character from those he made for 
purely scientific purposes only in this, that they are also used and very 
highly prized by those who are not necessarily scientific, who perhaps do 
not care about the dissipation of energy or vortex motion. These practical 
men come, by using Lord Kelvin’s inventions, to see that pure science is not 
vain ; they come to know something of the tree from its fruit. Lord Kelvin 
was quite free from selfishness or jealousy. He rejoiced in his own work 
and discoveries ; he rejoiced also in the discoveries of others. I recollect very 
well his enthusiasm over the work of Becquerel, of Crookes, of Dewar, of 
Graham Bell, and of many others. In the questions of first importance to 
man, where science gives no help, Lord Kelvin was a humble and devout 
disciple. In Lady Kelvin’s name I hand over to the Royal Society of 
Edinburgh, through you, Sir, as President, this beautiful work of art and 
striking likeness of Lord Kelvin, one of the greatest discoverers in pure 
science, a true benefactor of mankind, our honoured President and dear 
friend.” 
After the bust was unveiled, Sir William Turner received it in the name 
of the Society with the following words : — 
“ I feel sure that no more appropriate Fellow of the Society could have 
been chosen to act as spokesman on this occasion than our dear colleague 
and friend, Professor Crum Brown. He has given so admirable a summary 
of Lord Kelvin’s character and intellectual power as one of the great 
scientific men of the age that I need not attempt to follow him in that 
direction. But, speaking as the President of the Society, and speaking in 
regard to the man who immediately preceded me in the presidential chair, 
I think it might be useful and instructive to say a few words about Lord 
Kelvin as Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. I find that Lord 
Kelvin joined the Society in 1847. He remained a Fellow for sixty years. 
