224 THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 



The disappearance of the species, of course, pre- 

 vents natural history students from studying the wild 

 pigeon in Hfe, yet there are fortunately many stuffed 

 specimens of the species in museums of the United 

 States and Europe. There are. I hnd, quite a num- 

 ber of mounted wild pigeons in numerous private col- 

 lections and in this state. I have also seen in the last 

 two or three years at least, a dozen stuffed wild pig- 

 eons whicli are owned by private individuals in Penn- 

 sylvania. These birds are used as mantel or mural 

 decorations in rooms. 



Pigeons in Former Years 



The following extremely interesting information 

 concerning the wild pigeons is gleaned from a recent 

 conversation I had with C. K. Sober, of Lewisburg. 

 an old-time hunter, and one of the best-informed in- 

 dividuals in this state on the subject of game birds 

 and mammals of Pennsylvania. Mr. Sober spent his 

 seventy-third birthday on November 24th, h.unting 

 ruffed grouse on his famous Paragon Chestnut farm, 

 in Irish A^alley, about six miles from Shamokin. 

 Mr. Sober, when too young to handle a gun, began 

 his hu.nting career by using a bow and arrow, with 

 which he killed rabbits and small birds. When 

 twelve years old, he shot his first wild pigeon with 

 a flint-lock gun, the property of one of his older 

 brothers. ^Mr. Si ber sail: 



"Pigeons would l^egin to collect in buckwheat 

 fields, in Seotember, or about the time buckwheat 



