CiOOSE. 133 



an egg, it was produced from a shell which grew on trees 

 and rotten wood, and the shell was therefore called the 

 Goose-bearing shell, (Le.pas anatifera.) For this foolish idea 

 there was no other foundation than pieces of wood and 

 decayed trees being often found in parts of the sea frequented 

 by these Geese, all covered over with these shells, which 

 seem to grow upon little stalks; and as the feelers of the 

 fish within it are feathered or fringed, they were supposed 

 to be the downy coverings of the young Goslings.' 



As a curious specimen of ignorant reasoning and credulity, 

 we shall extract an account written by the sage Gerard, as 

 he was called, author of a well-known book called 'Gerard's 

 Herbal, or History of Plants.' This author was born at 

 Nantwich, in Cheshire, and lived in the time of Queen 

 Elizabeth: 



'There is,' says he, 'a small island in Lancashire, called 'the 

 Pile of Foulders,' on the west side of the entrance into 

 Morecombe bay, about fifteen miles south of Ulverston, 

 wherein are found the broken pieces of old and bruised 

 ships, also the trunks and bodies, with the branches of old 

 and rotten trees, cast up there likewise; wherein 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 whiter colour, wherein is contained a thing in form 

 like a lace of silke, finely woven as it were together; 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 degrees, 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 gathereth feathers and groweth to a fowl bigger than a 

 Mallard, and lesser than a Goose, 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 three- 

 pence.' So fully convinced was the sage Gerard of the 'truth 

 hereof,' that he closes his account with an inyitation to all 

 who doubted the fact to apply to him: 'If any doubt, may 



