NATURAL SELECTION 



birds of this species on the sea-shore, hanging from one 

 piece of timber, covered with shells, and already formed. 

 No eggs are laid by these birds . . .; the hen never sits 

 on eggs in order to hatch them ; in no corner of the world 

 are they seen either to pair, or build nests. Hence, in 

 some parts of Ireland, bishops and men of religion make 

 no scruple of eating these birds 

 on fasting days, as not being 

 flesh, because they are not born 

 of flesh, but these men are curi- 

 ously drawn into error. For, if 

 any one had eaten part of the 

 thigh of our first parent, which 

 was really flesh, although not 

 born of flesh, I should think 

 him not guiltless of having eaten 

 flesh. Repent, O unhappy Jew." 



Again, Sir Robert Murray, 

 in 1676, reports his observations 

 of these phenomena to the Royal 

 Society of England : 



" In many shells I opened, I 

 found a perfect Sea-Fowl ; the 

 little Bill like that of a Goose ; 

 the Eyes marked ; the Head, Neck, Breast, Wings, Tail, and 

 Feet, formed ; the Feathers everywhere perfectly Shaped, and 

 Blackish colored; and the Feet like those of other Water- 

 Fowl, to my best Rememberance. The biggest I found 

 upon the Tree, was but about the size of the Figure [an 

 inch long] ; nor did I ever see any of the little Birds alive, 

 nor meet with any Body that did ; only some credible Per- 



FlG. 2. Gerarde's figure of" Barnacles pro- 

 ducing geise." From Gerarde's Herball. 



