CORRESP ONDENCE. 



409 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



IMMATERIAL SCIENCE. 



Editor Popular Science Monthly : 

 rT^HE criticism made by Mr. E. S. Moser, 

 i in his article in the November Monthly, 

 is undoubtedly sound from the writer's point 

 of view, which is that of physical science. 

 And yet there are many persons for one, 

 the writer of this letter who, while recog- 

 nizing the untenableness from the scientific 

 standpoint of the positions taken in Prof. 

 Lusk's article, yet as to the main idea accept 

 it as true. When Mr. Moser asks, What is 

 the spirit? he well knows that no answer 

 can be given in the terms of science. Never- 

 theless, the one who is put to silence by the 

 question may have certitude of the reality of 

 man's spiritual nature. 



It seems to the writer that the plain issue 

 which is raised in this ever-recurring discus- 

 sion of the natural versus the spiritual is 

 whether man possesses faculties higher than 

 the rational faculties, by which he can have 

 conviction of truth that can not be reached 

 by deductive reasoning. That there is no in- 

 herent absurdity in this idea is evident on 

 the principle of evolution. In the history of 

 the animal kingdom there was a time when 

 sentiency was the highest form of mentality 

 manifested by animals. From animals of 

 this grade were evolved others of a higher 

 grade, possessing not only sentiency but also 

 rationality. Why should there not be a 

 further evolution, giving rise to another set 

 of faculties, higher than the rational facul- 

 ties ? Through the exercise of these higher 

 faculties man may have certitude of truth 

 which the rational faculties alone are inca- 

 pable of attaining. 



May we not say that the faculties which 

 are exercised in the acts of prayer and praise 

 to a Supreme Being are such higher facul- 

 ties ? In the ideal human mind one in 

 which all the normal faculties have propor- 

 tionate development would there not be 

 such higher faculties ? Who has not expe- 

 rienced moments when it seemed natural to 

 pray to God, and others when it seemed nat- 

 ural to praise him ? And by the exercise of 

 these higher faculties is there not attained a 

 certitude of truths which belong to a higher 

 realm than the truths about material Na- 

 ture? 



Let any one who thinks he must give a nega- 

 tive answer to these questions before making 

 a final decision go back in thought to that 

 stage in the evolution of his animal ancestors 

 when first a rational nature was being added 

 'to the powers of sentiency. How long may 

 not the animals of that stage have hesitated 

 to be guided by the dawning light of reason ? 



how long doubtful of the truths which the 

 exercise of their newly received faculties 

 revealed to them ? JAMES H. STOLLER. 



UNION COLLEGE, SCHENECTADY, N. Y., 

 October 29, 1893. 



TAMABILITY OF BIRDS. 

 Editor Popular Science Monthly : 



SIR : The article in The Popular Science 

 Monthly for November Birds' Judgments 

 of Men was one that was full of interest for 

 me by reason of the matter contained in the 

 article itself, and also because it recalled 

 some of my own experiences with our little 

 feathered friends. 



Situated, like the house of M. Cunisset- 

 Carnot, on the outskirts of the city, the one 

 in which I spent the summer at the time in 

 question was surrounded by trees of various 

 kinds. Here the robin, bluebird, finch, ori- 

 ole, and the sparrow, among others, came 

 and built their nests season after season 

 without fear or molestation. 



Without doubt the kindness that was uni- 

 formly shown them and the care with which 

 all avoided disturbing their nests prepared 

 the way for the more familiar intercourse I 

 succeeded in holding afterward with these 

 cheery little tenants of our woods and fields. 



One of the first methods I adopted for 

 this purpose was to place a number of shelves 

 in the trees, keeping them always supplied 

 with foods, taking care as well that it should 

 be done under their observation. This was 

 easily performed, as they soon learned to 

 note any movements on my part with this 

 object in view. 



My first advances were made toward the 

 English sparrow, that Anglo-Saxon of our 

 smaller birds. Always on the lookout to 

 discover and recognize anything that may be 

 of profit to himself, he is also the first to 

 take advantage of it, to the exclusion of his 

 less fearless companions. I taught them to 

 know my whistle, to come at my call, and to 

 eat the crumbs I dropped from my hand. 

 Then I succeeded in having them take their 

 food from the palm of my outstretched hand. 

 At last, whatever doubt I might have felt as 

 to their confidence in my good intentions 

 was wholly dissipated by seeing them bring 

 their young to me. These showed no signs 

 of fear. On the contrary, they appeared to 

 be as unconcerned about me as the parent 

 birds that were feeding them at my feet. 



They were always on the alert for their 

 breakfast, flying from different quarters to 

 my windows when I pushed back the blinds 

 at rising. If for any cause they remained 

 closed beyond the usual hour, the presence 



