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XVII. 

 , THE UTILITY OF BIRDS. 



MY DEAR FRIENDS, I am going to talk to you this 

 evening on the benevolent design of Providence in 

 ornamenting and enlivening the world, as He has 

 done, with a great variety of birds. In telling 

 you this, I ask you to bear in mind not only that 

 it has pleased Almighty God to cheer us with 

 their songs, but He has also created them for 

 many useful purposes, some of which I will point 

 out to you. Before, however, I do this, I wish to 

 make one remark, which has occurred to me 

 while writing this lecture for you. It is this. 

 When I have looked on beautiful scenery 

 when I have seen the wooded valleys standing 

 thick with corn, and the river winding and 

 sparkling as it flows when I hear the sweet 

 songs of birds, and look at the great variety of 



