Z46 THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 



Note on C. H. Shearer's Remarkable Painting, "The 



Flight of the Wild Pigeons, Appearing 



in This Vclu-ne. 



This line work of art was painted during the winter 

 of 1910-1911, by the venerable artist, Christopher H. 

 Shearer, of Reading, Berks County, who was born in 

 1846. Mr. Shearer ranks with Pennsylvania's leading 

 artists, his most famous canvasses being "The 

 Schwartzbach" and "Maiden Creek," which were much 

 admired at the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia 

 in 18T6; "The Drachenfels" and '"The Forest of Alont- 

 morency." ^Ir. Shearer studied under the immortal 

 Dan Devlan. at Reading, and later in Paris and in Ger- 

 many. He is equally well known as an etcher. In the 

 scientific world he holds a prominent place, being re- 

 garded as one of the leading entomologists of the 

 United States. He is an expert ornithologist, and in 

 his youth devoted much time to gtmning and netting for 

 wild pigeons. He is, therefore, well fitted to be the 

 creator of the only painting in existence of the vast 

 number of birds in flight. The picture shows a scene in 

 Berks Count\\ The Schuylkill River is winding its 

 way through the middle distance; in the background 

 appears the long level wall of the Blue Mountains ; the 

 foreground is probably the rocky height of Scull's Hill. 

 For several years this painting hung in the executive 

 office of Dr. W. T. Hornaday, Director of the New 

 York Zoological Gardens at the Bronx, having been 

 loaned to the great conservator of wild life by Colonel 

 Shoemaker, at whose ^vish the picture was painted by 

 Reading's ''Good Grey Artist." 



