276 LECTURE XXII. 



ers, and that is, that migratory birds frequently 

 take their long flights by night. This is proved 

 by their flying against the lights, and being 

 found dead in the tnorning. This is more espe- 

 cially the case with woodcocks, snipes, and the 

 horned owl, which latter bird generally arrives 

 in this country with woodcocks. If birds ar- 

 rived in the day-time, they probably, when 

 much exhausted by their long flight, would 

 be much more easily destroyed than they now 

 are. We may, therefore, consider that their 

 nocturnal flights are a wise and benevolent 

 instinct implanted in them by a merciful and 

 benevolent Providence for their self-preservation. 

 Thus those interesting birds, the swallows, 

 whom no one, I trust, would wantonly destroy, 

 arrive amongst us in the day-time, which I 

 have myself witnessed, as no good end would be 

 answered if their flight were in the night. 

 These circumstances may appear trifling, but 

 they serve to prove that a kind and benevolent 

 Providence watches over the well-being of His 

 creatures, and that His tender mercies are over 

 all His works. It is more than probable that 

 the All-wise Creator of all things never intended 

 that we should penetrate into the reasons for all 



