William Archer (naturalist)
Encyclopedia
William Archer was an Irish
naturalist
and microscopist
especially interested in Protozoa
and Desmid
s.
Archer was one of the twelve founder (1849) members of the Dublin Microscopical Club. Between 1858 and 1885 he wrote over 230 scientific papers in the Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science , Proceedings of the Natural. History Society of Dublin, the vast majority are short notes on desmids collected in Ireland.Sometimes the same article was published in two or more journals.
He was a Member of the Dublin University Zoological Association
and a Fellow
of the Royal Society
.
"Archer was my chief in the National Library of Ireland during my first three years of service there - a rather dreamy man, prematurely old (for he took no care of his health), living in a small house in Hatch-street with a scapegrace young nephew and a would-be housekeeper, and spending his off-time chiefly in the reading-room of the Royal Dublin Society next door to the National Library. He forgot even his meals sometimes. Once when he had gone on leave a marked odour began to pervade the Librarian’s office, which grew so insistent as the days went by that the Head Attendant and I were forced to investigate. We eventually found in his private drawer two herrings, very much the worse for wear!" Robert Lloyd Praeger
Some Irish naturalists: A Biographical Note-book W.Tempest, Dundalgan Press, Dundalk, 1949
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
and microscopist
Microscopy
Microscopy is the technical field of using microscopes to view samples and objects that cannot be seen with the unaided eye...
especially interested in Protozoa
Protozoa
Protozoa are a diverse group of single-cells eukaryotic organisms, many of which are motile. Throughout history, protozoa have been defined as single-cell protists with animal-like behavior, e.g., movement...
and Desmid
Desmid
Desmids are an order of green algae, comprising around 40 genera and 5,000 to 6,000 species, found mostly but not exclusively in fresh water. Most are unicellular, and are divided into two compartments separated by a narrow bridge or isthmus...
s.
Archer was one of the twelve founder (1849) members of the Dublin Microscopical Club. Between 1858 and 1885 he wrote over 230 scientific papers in the Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science , Proceedings of the Natural. History Society of Dublin, the vast majority are short notes on desmids collected in Ireland.Sometimes the same article was published in two or more journals.
He was a Member of the Dublin University Zoological Association
Dublin University Zoological Association
The Dublin University Zoological Association was founded in 1853 to promote zoological studies in Ireland. Dublin University is now Trinity College, Dublin.It commenced proceedings in the Natural History Review in 1854.-Notable members:*Robert Ball...
and a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
.
"Archer was my chief in the National Library of Ireland during my first three years of service there - a rather dreamy man, prematurely old (for he took no care of his health), living in a small house in Hatch-street with a scapegrace young nephew and a would-be housekeeper, and spending his off-time chiefly in the reading-room of the Royal Dublin Society next door to the National Library. He forgot even his meals sometimes. Once when he had gone on leave a marked odour began to pervade the Librarian’s office, which grew so insistent as the days went by that the Head Attendant and I were forced to investigate. We eventually found in his private drawer two herrings, very much the worse for wear!" Robert Lloyd Praeger
Robert Lloyd Praeger
-Life:Of a Unitarian background, he was born in Holywood, County Down, and grew up in that town where he was educated, first in the school of the Rev McAlister and then at nearby Sullivan Upper School. He worked in the National Library of Ireland in Dublin from 1893 to 1923. He co-founded and...
Some Irish naturalists: A Biographical Note-book W.Tempest, Dundalgan Press, Dundalk, 1949