Minutes of Proceedings. 281 



and all his holiday time was spent in an investigation of the 

 Flora and Fauna of the Dublin hills. About 1854 there was a small 

 group of students in Trinity College, Dublin, who, on the invitation 

 of Dr. R. Ball, the then Curator of the IS'atural History Museum of 

 the University, met at short intervals for the practical study of 

 Zoology. At first their studies were confined to preserved specimens ; 

 but, under the influence of Professors Allman and Harvey, microsco- 

 pical work upon living forms formed the greater part of their investi- 

 gation. The ponds in the Phoenix Park were their happy hunting 

 grounds. In kindred study in the Zoological Gardens Archer met with 

 the College workers. To their delight, he told them more about the 

 forms met with than ever they had known. He had at this time an 

 excellent knowledge of the Dublin Desmids, and a wonderful power 

 of diagnosing the species. Professors Allman and Harvey were de- 

 lighted with their extra-academic pupil, and he was made very wel- 

 come within the College walls. His brother Richard was at this time 

 a College student in the Law School, but neither he nor his brother 

 Holt ever developed any special taste for biological studies. With all 

 his diffidence Archer was no misanthrope. ISTothing delighted him 

 more than excursions made in company of some chosen friend, and it 

 seemed quite natural that a brotherhood should be started with the 

 object of combining a study of natural history, from a practical point 

 of view, with a thoroughly social reunion. The Dublin Microscopical 

 Club was the result. It was limited to twelve members. Each 

 should be a practical worker with the microscope. The meetings 

 were held at the houses or rooms of the members. On an election one 

 vote against excluded. This club, founded in 1857, preserved its 

 original code of rules and method of work until 1897 with excellent 

 results so far as science went, and with no little advantage to its 

 members. 



In 1870 Archer was elected a member of this Academy. He filled 

 the office of Secretary of Foreign Correspondence from 1875 to 1879. 

 In this latter year he was awarded the Academy's Cunningham Gold 

 Medal. He was elected a Fellow of the Eoyal Society in 1875, In 

 1877 he was elected to the Librarianship of the Eoyal Dublin Society. 

 For years he had served on its Library Committee, and his qualifica- 

 tions for the office were strongly testified to by W. 13, Carpenter, 

 Thomas H. Huxley, W. Thiselton Dyer, and Ray Lankester, to 



