SOME FACTS AND FICTIONS OF ZOOLOGY. 85 



century to another is a simply explained circumstance, and 

 one exemplified by the practices of our own times. The 

 process of accretion and addition is also well illustrated in 

 the perpetuation of fables ; since the tale is certain to lose 

 nothing in its historical journey, but, on the contrary, to 

 receive additional elaboration with increasing age. Professor 

 Max Miiller, after discussing various theories of the origin of 

 the barnacle myth, declares in favour of the idea that con- 

 fusion of language and alteration of names lie at the root of 

 the error. The learned author of the " Science of Language " 

 argues that the true barnacles were named, properly enough, 

 Bcrnaculce, and lays stress on the fact that bernicle geese were 

 first caught in Ireland. That country becomes Hibernia in 

 Latin, and the Irish geese were accordingly named ffibernictK) 

 or Hibernicultz. By the omission of the first syllable no 

 uncommon operation for words to undergo we obtain the 

 name Berniculd for the geese, this term being almost synony- 

 mous with the name Bernaculce already applied, as we have 

 seen, to the barnacles. Bernicle geese and bernicle shells, 

 confused in name, thus became confused in nature ; and, 

 once started, the ordinary process of growth was sufficient to 

 further intensify, and render more realistic, the story of the 

 bernicle tree and its wonderful progeny. 



By way of a companion legend to that of the barnacle 

 tree, we may select the story of the " Lamb Tree " of Cathay, 

 told by Sir John Maundeville, whose notes of travel regarding 

 crocodiles' tears, and other points in the conformation of 

 these reptiles, have already been referred to. Sir John, in 

 that chapter of his work which treats " Of the Gentries and 

 Yles that ben bezonde the Lond of Cathay; and of the 

 Frutes there," etc., relates that in Cathay "there growethe a 

 manner of Fruyt, as thoughe it were Gowrdes : and whan 

 thei ben rype, men kutten (cut) hem a to (them in two), and 

 men fynden with inne a lytylle Best (beast), in Flessche in 

 Bon and Blode (bone and blood) as though it were a lytylle 

 Lomb (lamb) with outen wolle (without wool). And men 

 eten both the Frut and the Best ; and that," says Sir John, 



