156 BIRDS OF LANCASHIRE. 



the shell, even as the fish of Oisters a.nd Huskies are : 

 the other end is made fast unto the belly of a rude 

 masse or lampe, which in time commeth to the shape 

 and forme of a Bird : when it is perfectly formed the 

 shell gapeth open, and the first thing that appeareth is 

 the foresaid lace or string ; next come the legs of the 

 bird hanging out, and as it groweth greater it openeth 

 the shell by degrees, til at length it is all come forth, 

 and hangeth onely by the bill : in short space after it 

 commeth to full maturitie, and falleth into the sea, 

 where it gathereth feathers, and groweth to a fowls 

 bigger than a Mallard, and lesser than a Goose, having 

 blacke legs and bill or beake, and feathers blacke and 

 white, spotted in such manner as is our Mag-Pie, called 

 in some places a Pie-Annet, which the people of Lanca- 

 shire call by no other name than a tree Goose : which 

 place aforesaid, and all those parts adjoyning do so 

 much abound therewith, that one of the best is bought 

 for threepence. . . They spawne as it were in March 

 and Aprill ; the Geese are formed in May and June, and 

 come to fulnesse of feathers in the moneth after." 



The shell which was supposed to have such extra- 

 ordinary properties is really a species of multivalve, the 

 Lejias anatifcra of Linnaeus. 



GENUS CYGNUS. 



WHOOPEE SWAN. 



CyctNus musicus, Bechstein. 



The Whooper is an occasional winter visitor, seldom 

 appearing except in very severe weather, but then fre- 

 quenting W^indermere, Coniston, and other large pieces 



