168 THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD [Vol. III. 



While at school Carter suffered from trouble in his left eye, 

 which has been more or less useless all his life. In view of this, 

 his collecting ability is remarkable, and says much for the 

 enthusiasm of the man. This enthusiasm showed itself early 

 in life, as many most difficult trips were undertaken by the 

 boy, and his tenacity then enabled him to overcome obstacles 

 considered insuperable by other boys. As an instance may 

 be cited his method of exploring a marshy mere. The reeds 

 being inaccessible by swimming or wading, he attempted to 

 drag a boat more than one mile overland. This plan did not 

 succeed, so he borrowed the kitchen table and turning it upside 

 down he paddled this strange " boat " among the reeds, success- 

 fully achieving his object. This success led to further efforts, 

 and he built himself a light punt, which he used until he was 

 able to buy a real canoe with which he explored the neigh- 

 bouring rivers for long distances. 



In 1884 he visited Filey and climbed the cliffs, collecting 

 his own specimens, and afterwards wrote an account of this 

 trip, which was published in the Zoologist for 1884. About 

 this time he met (Dr.) Eagle Clarke, then at the Leeds Museum, 

 and sent him many notes for his Birds of Yorkshire, after- 

 wards completed by Nelson. Notes were also forwarded to 

 the Zoologist and Naturalist, and to Seebohm for his British 

 Birds. In 1885 he met the Rev. H. H. Slater, who showed 

 him the necessity of preserving bird skins for his ornithological 

 work, and also took him on a collecting trip with him 

 to Iceland, where they found a nest and eggs which they 

 were convinced belonged to the Sanderling, though they could 

 not secure the sitting bird. These eggs were regarded as 

 authentic by Professor Newton, a most careful ornithologist, 

 and this should be the first recorded occurrence of the breeding 

 of this bird in Europe. An account of the trip appeared in 

 the Ibis, January, 1886, and Zoologist, April, 1836. At the 

 end of 1885 Carter, who was engaged in his father's business, 

 came to London with his brother to open a branch there. This 

 was one of the turning points of his life, as in London he met 

 Seebohm, who introduced him to Bowdler Sharpe, who took 

 him to the scientific meetings which increased his desire for a 



