VOL. X.] THE LATE MAJOR F. W. PROCTOR. 39 



After this, Major Proctor devoted himself to the 

 improvement of his own collection. He had already 

 visited Hmigary (1903), Madeira, Spain (1906) and 

 Holland (1908), and in 1913 made a trip to the Gulf 

 of Bothnia and the Quikjock district of Swedish 

 Lapland, where few Englishmen had collected since 

 Wheelwright's time. This was followed in 1914 by a 

 second visit to Spain, in company with Mr. S. L. 

 Whymper, on which occasion he was successful in 

 taking eggs of manj' of the large Rap tores of Central 

 Spain, as well as those of the birds of the Guadalquivir 

 valley. On the outbreak of war in 1914 he offered his 

 services to the War Office and was at once accepted. 

 For a year he acted as Recruiting Officer at Longton, 

 Staffordshire, but wishmg for a more active field of 

 operation, he was appointed to the Signalling Depot of 

 the Royal Engineers at Fenny Stratford, Bucks. Here 

 he worked from Jmie to October, 1915, when the illness 

 from which he eventually died began to show itself. He 

 was never happier than during this period, while he was 

 able to give his personal service to his comitry. Li spite 

 of all that devoted attention and the best medical advice 

 could do, he became gradually worse, and though am- 

 putation seemed to raise hopes of recovery for a time, 

 he sank under it, and was laid to rest in the churchyard 

 at Maidenhead on June 15th. 



Major Proctor published little, but few keener observers 

 or more enthusiastic collectors could be met with than he. 

 Somewhat reserved in manner, he was a most interest- 

 ing and delightful companion to a kindred spirit, and a 

 true and loyal friend, whom we shall greatly miss. 



F.C.R.J. 



