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JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



in this state they must have it in 

 another." 



There is a growing belief, I think, 

 that man's immortality is conditional; 

 that the New Testament does not 

 teach that all men are immortal and 

 that some passages seem to teach 

 something quite different. "Enter 

 ye in at the strait gate: for wide is 

 the gate, and broad is the way, that 

 leadeth to destruction, and many 

 there be which go in thereat: because 

 strait is the gate, and narrow is the 

 way, which leadeth unto life; and few 

 there be that find it." Immortality 

 is not a natural possession but some- 

 thing that must be won. A very able 

 and interesting work has been i-e- 

 cently published on this subject by 

 Rev. Dr. McConnell, called the "Evo- 

 lution of Immortality." 



There is another theory, that man 

 at the outset of life has a soul but 

 that it may die within him; that if it 

 is to be kept it must be cherished and 

 nourished; that evolution is more ex- 

 tended in its operations than we have 

 commonly supposed; that only the fit- 

 test survive death and enter upon an 

 immortal existence. According to 

 either of these theories, men and ani- 

 mals alike must perish if the}- are not 

 fitted to enjoy something more than 

 a mere physical existence. I say men 

 and animals alike, for God is impar- 

 tial and his laws are uniform in their 

 operation. I do not wish to appear 

 dogmatic. In regard to the subject 

 of immortality I have enough doubts 

 and fears. But to me it seems most 

 reasonable and natural that man's 

 future abode is this earth and that 

 those who choose it, will not be de- 

 prived of the association with ani- 

 mals, which has added greatly to their 

 happiness while in this life. 



I will close with two brief quota- 

 tions. I find the following in a ser- 

 mon preached by the Rev. Canon 

 Birch in St. Stephen's Church, West- 

 minster; "You cannot have your at- 

 tention called to the claims of ani- 

 mals upon your kindness, your inter- 

 est in them increased, without a gen- 

 eral expansion of your feelings. It 

 will increase your regard for your 

 fellow-men and your desire to avoid 

 whatever would injure them. It will 

 give strength to that lesson which in 

 substance is taught us throughout the 

 gospel — Reverence for what is above 

 us and kindness for what is around 



us, tenderness and humanity for what 

 is beneath us." The following is from 

 a well known poem by Coleridge: 



He prajeth well, who loveth well 

 Both man and bird and beast. 



He prayeth best, who loveth best 

 All things both great and smaU; 



For the dear God who loveth us, 

 He made and loveth all. 



ATTRACTING BIRDS IN WINTER. 



Our northern winter is a season to 

 be tided over and whatever helps to 

 relieve the monotony of this season 

 by furnishing agreeable and harm- 

 less amusement is a matter for which 

 we should feel thankful. 



As a means of doing this and of 

 awakening an interest in bird life 

 among those who seem to have no 

 inclination to study them I know of 

 nothing so effective as that of attract- 

 ing the winter birds about our homes 

 by offering them food. Furthermore, 

 it affords the best opportunities for 

 the bird student to closely observe 

 and photograph certain species such 

 as Chickadees, Nuthatches, Wood- 

 peckers, and others less common. 



I usually begin attracting the resi- 

 dent birds to my home during Octo- 

 ber and November by furnishing 

 them a supply of food consisting of 

 suet, bones with meat and gristle on 

 them, raw pork rinds, crushed buck- 

 wheat, weed seed, and sunflower 

 seeds. 



The first birds to visit the lunch 

 counter during the autumn of 1903, 

 was a family of four chickadees 

 which have remained about my home 

 during the winter. This little family 

 finally became so tame and confiding 

 that they would alight upon my hand 

 apd eat from it. White -breasted 

 nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, 

 and hairy woodpeckers, frequently 

 visited the branch upon which the 

 food was placed. Two bluejays came 

 occasionally and would carry away 

 large pieces of the suet. I placed 

 some nuts in one of the cups which 

 they soon found. Tree sparrows, 

 gold finches, redpolls and juncoa 

 came during the winter months to eat 

 the seeds which I had separated from 

 grain and scattered beneath the 

 branch. 



A good supply of food was placed 

 upon the branch, as may be seen by 

 the illustrations, in order that several 

 birds might eat together, But re- 



