1920-21.] Obituary Notices. 161 
Switzerland his scientific curiosity had been aroused by the fine series of 
objects from lake-dwellings displayed in the museum at Zurich. By a 
fortunate chance, the very first piece of work undertaken by the Association 
was the excavation of a crannog, or artificial island, whose remains had 
been accidentally discovered on the farm of Lochlee, familiar from its 
association with Robert Burns. The late Mr Cochran Patrick, who was 
the mainspring of the organisation, promptly enlisted Munro as a helper, 
and a magnificent recruit he proved. Several other crannogs were explored 
during the next two or three years, Munro taking a prominent part in 
every case, and ultimately becoming leader. In 1882 the results were 
brought before the public in his Scottish Lake-dwellings , a performance 
which made it clear that he had laid a firm grasp on the essentials of 
the subject. 
The writing of the book had, however, convinced him of the importance 
of extending the scope of his inquiries by the study of analogous phenomena 
on the Continent. The great collection of relics from the lake-dwellings 
and terramara settlements of the Po Valley, preserved in the Museo 
Preistorico at Rome, was systematically examined as soon as his health 
was sufficiently recovered, Mrs Munro lending invaluable assistance through 
her deftness in sketching. Then followed a series of visits to public and 
private collections elsewhere in Italy, as well as to every locality in which 
lake-dwellings or relics of their inhabitants were to be found. On return- 
ing to Scotland in the summer of 1886, he received an invitation to deliver 
the Rhind Lectures for 1888, the subject suggested being “The Lake- 
dwellings of Europe.” These lectures were issued in book form in 1890, 
and with their appearance his reputation as an archaeologist was made. 
The best testimony to their enduring quality is that they were translated 
into French eighteen years after they were originally issued. They have 
definitely taken their place as the standard work on the subject. The mass 
of material passed in review is so extensive that any serious modification 
of the conclusions reached is not likely to be called for. 
About 1890 Dr and Mrs Munro had settled in Edinburgh, where their 
house in Manor Place speedily became a centre of hospitality for antiquaries 
on the one hand, and men of science on the other. Munro had hosts of 
friends in both camps, and he liked to stimulate young men of promise by 
introducing them to the notice of those who had already achieved distinc- 
tion. He had been elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scot- 
land in 1879. In 1888 he was appointed Honorary Secretary, a post which 
he continued to hold for eleven years. In 1891 he joined the Fellowship of 
the Royal Society, where he was speedily at home in most congenial company. 
VOL. XLI. 11 
