348 THE SWAN. 



whereof is fastened unto the inside of the shell, even as the fish of 

 oisters and nmskles 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 degrees, till "at 

 length it is all come forth, and 

 hangeth only by the bill ; in short 

 space after, it cometh to full matu- 

 ritie, and falleth into the sea, where 

 it gathereth feathers, and groweth 

 to a fowl bigger than a Mallard 



Bernacle Goose-Shell. and lesser than a G ose which the 



people in 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 testimonie of good 

 witnesses." These shells are represented in the preceding figure. 



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

 species ; the two others wild, one called Hooper, Whooper, or 

 Whistling Swan, from its loud, hoarse, and shrill cry, which 

 has been expressed by whoogh, whoogh ; but, harsh, as this cry 

 is, it is far from disagreeable when heard at a distance, and 

 moderated in the breeze ; and Bewick's Swan a bird closely 

 allied to the preceding. The Icelanders, whose year may be 

 said to consist but of one long day of summer months, when 

 they enjoy the light of the sun, and long night of winter, 

 when he never cheers them with his rays, compare this cry of 

 the wild Swan to the sound of a violin ; and when heard at 

 the end of their long and dreary winter, announcing the ap- 

 proach of genial weather, it is associated and coupled in their 

 minds with all that is cheerful and delightful. Any person 

 who has seen a common Swan lash the water with its wings, 

 * Herbal, p. 1587. 



