390 THE AQUARIAN NATURALIST. 



breedeth into certaine shels, in shape like those of 

 the muskle, but sharper pointed, and of a whitish 

 colour, wherein is contained a thing in form like a 

 piece of silke, finely woven as it were together, of a 

 whitish colour ; 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 lumpe, which in time 

 commeth 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 foresaid 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 onely 

 by the bill : in short space after it commeth to full 

 maturitie, and falleth into the sea, where it gathereth 

 feathers, and groweth to a fowle bigger than a mallard, 

 and lesser than a goose, having blacke legs and bill, 

 or beake, and feathers blacke and white spotted in 

 such a manner as our mag-pie, called in some places a 

 Pie-Annet, which the people of 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. For the truth hereof, if any doubt, may it 

 please them to repair unto me, and I shall satisfie 

 them by the testimonie of good witnesses*." 



The belief that the Barnacles are the young or 



embryo state of the Barnacle Goose (Anas erythropus), 



and of the Scoter or Black Goose (Anas nigra], is 



indeed one of those popular errors which has not only 



* Vide Herbal, p. 1587-88. 



