ACORN-BARNACLES. 1 1 



mation was long ago proved to have been, appears to 

 have arisen from the fact of Barnacles having been 

 found in great abundance on the trunks and even 

 branches of trees long submerged in the sea. It is 

 not incurious, however, to hear what Hector Boece, in 

 his "History of Scotland," says regarding the old 

 belief, the correctness of which, according to his ac- 

 count, 



" Was most notablie proued in the year of grace 

 1490, in sight of many people, beside the Castell of 

 Pesligo, whither the bodie of a great tree was brought 

 by the working of the sea. This tree being taken, it 

 was carried to the lord of the soile, who soone after 

 caused it to be slit in sunder with a saw; which 

 being done, it is incredible to see what a multitude of 

 worms came out of their holes. Of these also some 

 appeared as if they had beene but new shapen, diuers 

 had head, foot, and wings, but no feathers, the rest 

 were formed into perfect foules" (ty 



After giving three other instances of a similar cha- 

 racter, our author continues : 



" And also, within a few yeeres, in like sort, a ship 

 named the ' Christopher,' after she had Hen three 

 yeeres at anchor in one of these lies, was brought to 

 Leith, where, bicause hir timber was found to be rotten, 

 she was taken in sunder, and in hir keele were found 

 infinite holes, as if they had beene eaten with wormes 

 or bored with a wimble, and each one of them filled 

 with such creatures as I have said before." 



Then comes the important part of this " veracious 



