ARCHIL, or Orchil(Orseille, Fr.), a purple dye yielded by various species of lichens. The name is supposed to originate from the Portuguese rocha, a rock, in allusion to the source from which the raw material is derived. Archil can be extracted from many species of the genera Roccella, Lecanora, Umbilicaria, Parmelia, and others, but in practice two species of Roccella,—R. tinctoria and R. fuciformis, are almost exclusively used. These, under the name of “Orchella Weed,” are imported from the Portuguese colony of Angola, on the west coast of Africa, where the most valuable kinds are gathered; from Cape de Verde Islands; from Lima, on the west coast of South America; and from the Malabar coast of India. They grow on maritime rocks and on trees along sea-coasts, and it will be seen that the species are very widely distributed. The colouring properties of the lichens do not exist in them ready formed, but are developed by the treatment they receive at the hands of manufacturers. Small proportions of a colourless, crystalline principle, termed orcine, is found in some, and in all a series of acid substances, which on treatment split up into orcine and other products. Orcine in presence of oxygen and ammonia takes up nitrogen and becomes changed into orceine, which is essentially the basis of all lichen dyes. Archil is prepared for the dyer’s use in the form of a “liquor” and a “paste,” and the latter when dried and finely powdered forms the “cudbear” of commerce, a dye formerly manufactured in Scotland from a native lichen, Lecanora tartarea. The manufacturing process consists in washing the weeds, which are then ground up with water to a thick paste. If archil paste is to be made this paste is mixed with a strong ammoniacal solution, and agitated in an ...

ARCHILOCHUS, one of the first Greek lyric poets, was born at Paros, one of the Cyclades. The date of his birth is uncertain, but he flourished between 720 and 680 b.c. His father, Telesicles, was of noble family, and had been selected to consult the Delphic oracle relative to sending out a colony from Paros. His mother, Enipo, was a slave. While still young, Archilochus gained a prize for a hymn to Demeter; he soon after left Paros and proceeded to Thasos, according to some authorities, as leader of a colony. But his chief reasons for leaving his native place seem to have been personal disappointment and disgust. Lycambes had promised him his daughter Neobule in marriage, and had afterwards withdrawn his consent. Archilochus, taking advantage of the licence allowed at the feasts of Ceres, poured out his wounded feelings in verses of unmerciful satire. Lycambes he accused of perjury, and his daughters of leading the most abandoned lives. Such was the effect produced by his verses, that Lycambes and his daughters are said to have hanged themselves. The satire was written in iambics, a measure introduced for tho first time, and from its structure admirably adapted for light sarcastic poetry. At Thasos the poet passed some unhappy years, and incurred the great dishonour of throwing away his shield and fleeing from the field of battle. He does not seem to have felt the disgrace very keenly, for, like Alcaeus and Horace, he commemorates the event in his verses. After leaving Thasos he is said to have visited Sparta, but to have been at once banished from that city on account of his cowardice. His works, owing to their licentious character, were also prohibited by the Spartans. He next visited Siris, in lower Italy, a city of which he speaks very favourably. He then returned ...