BAE.XACLES. 65 



the sliclls open more and more, till at length it is attached 

 only b}^ the bill, soon after which it drops into the sea; 

 there it acquires feathers, and grows to a fowle." There is an 

 amusing illustration given in Gerard's book, where the young 

 Geese are represented hanging on the branches of trees, just 

 ready to drop into the water, where a number of those that 

 have previously fallen, like ripe fruit, and attained their full 

 plumage, are sailing about very contentedly. It was part of 

 this theory that the Barnacles were of vegetable origin, they 

 grew upon trees, or sprung out of the ground like mushrooms; 

 so we find in the vrorks of an old poet named Du Jiartas, 

 these lines: — 



"So slow Bootes uudtrneath him sees 

 In the icy ish^nds gosihigs hatched of trees, 

 Whose fruitful leaves, failing into the water, 

 Are turned, as known, to living fowls soon after; 

 So rotten planks of broken ships do change 

 To Barnacles. transformation strange! 

 'Twas first a green tree, then a broken hull, 

 Lately a mushroom, now a flying Gull." 



The investigations of modern science have cjuite exploded 

 this foolish notion; we now know exactly/ what transformations 

 the Barnacle undergoes; strange enough some of them are, 

 but it does not change into a Goose, although its specific 

 name has reference to that bird, being derived from anas, the 

 Latin for Goose. 



The shell of the Barnacle is composed of five pieces joined 

 together by membranes; four pieces are lateral, that is to say, 

 they form the sides, the word comes from the Latin latus — 

 a side; the other is a single narrow slip, Avhich fills what 

 would otherwise be an open space down the back between the 

 valves; these parts of the shell appear to be somewhat loosely 

 connected, so as to allow free action to the animal lodged 

 within, which is enclosed in a fine skin or mantle. The mouth 

 is placed at the lower part, aear the opening, whence the 

 cirrhi issue forth; this mouth is a curious piece of mechanism, 

 being furnished with a horny lip covered with minute 'p<^^{Ph 

 or feelers; there are three pairs of mandibles, that is jaws, the 

 two outer ones being horny and serrated, that is jagged or 

 toothed like a saw; the inner one is soft and membranous, 



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