12 THE SEA-SIDE AND AQUARIUM. 



historic," in which the writer receives ocular demon- 

 stration of the truth of his statement : 



" Heere (he says) if any man will alledge that the 

 ' Christopher ' was builded of such timber onelie as 

 grew in these lies, and that all roots and trees there 

 growing are of such nature as, in their corruption, 

 doo turne into these foules, I will disprooue his asser- 

 tion by one notable example shewed before mine eyes. 

 Maister Alexander Galloway, parson of Kinkell, was 

 with vs in these lies, and giving his mind with atten- 

 tiue dilligence to search out a full resolution with vs, 

 of these obscure and hidden matters, it happened on 

 a time that he took up a branch of alga, called in 

 Scottish, Seatangle, which hanged full of muskle 

 shells, from the root euen to the verie top. Being 

 also desirous to see what was in them, he grew to be 

 more astonished than before ; for when he opened one 

 or two of them, he saw no fsh, but a foule perfectlie 

 shapen, fully answering to the capacitie of the shell (!) 



" Finally, knowing that I was very inquisitiue of 

 these and like rare novelties, he came hastilie with 

 the said hearbe and shewed it vnto me, who found 

 no lesse by experience than I have before reported. 

 By these and many other reasons and examples I 

 cannot believe that these Claiks (or Barnacles, as I 

 call them) are producted either by the qualities of 

 the trees, or the roots thereof, but onelie by the nature 

 of the sea, which is the verie cause and productrix of 

 so manie wonderful creatures. Furthermore, bicause 

 the rude and ignorant people saw oftentimes the 



