102 HISTORY OF THE 



formed of vegetable materials collected together in swampy 

 places. The eggs are white, with a. faint tinge of brown or 

 grayish." Eggs 2.92x2.06; in form, elongate ovate. 



In former days, when the ignorance, credulity and superstition 

 of the people led them to readily believe in miraculous and fabu- 

 lous stories, this species, as well as the Barnacle Goose, JBninta 

 leucopsis^ were supposed to be engendered from barnacles at- 

 tached to rotten, decaying timbers in the sea, from which they 

 derived their name; also, by some, to grow on trees by their 

 bills, like fruit, or mushrooms, instead of being hatched like 

 other birds from an Qgg^ until the exploration of the Arctic 

 Ocean revealed their nesting places. In order that the reader 

 may understand their reasons for so absurd and unnatural a pro- 

 duction, I quote from three of the most noted historians and 

 naturalists among the many writers upon the subject at the time. 

 First, Hector Boice, a Scotch historian, born about 1465, as 

 translated by Bellenden: "Rest now," says he, "to speak of 

 the Geese engendered of the sea named Claiks. Some men be- 

 lieves that thir [these] Claiks grows on trees by the nebbis 

 [bills]. But their opinion is vain. And because the nature 

 and procreation of these Claiks is strange, we have made no 

 little labour and dilligence to search the truth and verity thereof, 

 we have sailed through the seas where thir [these] Claiks are 

 bred, and finding by great experience that the nature of the seas 

 is more relevant cause of their procreation than any other thing. 

 And howbeit thir [these] Geese are bred many sundry ways, they 

 are bred ay allanerly [only] by nature of the seas. For all trees 

 that are cassin [cast] into the seas by process of time appears 

 first worm-eaten, and in the small bores and holes thereof grows 

 small worms. First they show their head and feet, and last of 

 all they show their plumes and wings. Finally when they are 

 coming to the just measure and quantity of Geese, they fly in 

 the air, as other fowls do, as was notabl}^ proven in the year of 

 our God one thousand iiii hundred Ixxx, in sight of many peo- 

 ple beside the castle of Pitslego, one great tree was brought by 

 alluvion and flux of the sea to land. This wonderful tree was 

 brought to the laird of the ground, quhilk [who] soon after gart 



