THE TREE-GOOSE. 



391 



broken pieces of old and bruised ships, and also the 

 trunks and bodies, with the branches of old and rotten 

 trees, cast up there likewise : whereon is found a certain 

 spume, or froth, that in time breedeth unto certain shells, 

 in shape like those of the muskle, but sharper pointed, 

 and of a whitish colour, wherein is contained a thing in 

 form like a lace of silke, finely woven as it were toge- 

 ther ; one end whereof is fastened unto the inside of the 

 shell, even as the fish of oisters and muskles are ; the 

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

 lump, which in time cometh to the shape and form of a 

 bird : when it is perfectly formed, the shell gapeth open, 

 and the first thing that appeareth is the aforesaid lace 

 or string ; next come the legs of the bird hanging out, 

 and as it groweth greater, 

 it openeth the shell by de- 

 grees, till at length it is all 

 come forth, and hangeth 

 only by the bill ; in short 

 space after, it cometh to 

 full maturitie, and falleth 

 into the sea, where it ga- 

 thcreth feathers, and grow- 

 eth to a fowl bigger than a 

 Mallard, and lesser than a Eemade Goose-shell. 



GoOSe, which the people in (Lepas anati/era.} 



Lancashire call by no other name than a Tree-Goose ; 

 which place aforesaid, and all those parts adjoining, do 

 so much abound therewith, that one of the best is 

 bought for threepence*/' So fully convinced was the 

 sage Gerard of the " truth hereof," that he closes his 

 account with an invitation to all who doubted the fact 

 to apply to him. " If any doubt, may it please them to 

 repair unto me, and I shall satisfie them by the testi- 

 monie of good witnesses." These shells are represented 

 in the annexed figure. 



Of Swans, we have three sorts : one, our well-known 



* Herbal, p. 1587. 



