4G 



THE BERNACLE. 



White-faced Bernacle. . 



Anser bernicla, Elem. 

 „ leucopsis, Beclist. 



Is a regular winter visitant to the coast. 



The food of this bird being different from that of the brent goose, 

 the haunts of the two species are wholly distinct. The extensive 

 sandy coast exposed by the receding tide, bordered by short 

 pasture, or having islets of this nature rising here and there 

 above its level surface, is the favourite abode of the bernacle. 

 The brent goose, on the contrary, revels in the soft oozy bays 

 where the Zostera marina, or grass-wrack, grows profusely, and on 

 it alone is content to feed. 



The greatest haunt of the bernacle known to me is an immense 

 shallow sandy iDay, on the coast of Louth, bordered by an extensive 

 tract of pastui-e and marshy ground, called Lurgan Green. Erom 

 tliis locality the bird takes its name, and is called the Lurgan Green 

 bernacle over a consideraljle part of the island, to distinguish it 

 from the brent goose, which bears the simple appellation of the 

 bernacle. The latter bird is generally higlily esteemed in Ireland 

 for the table, while the former is not at all relished. Yet, in other 

 places, it is so. Mr. Selby, writing from Northumberland, says, 

 "its flesh is sweet and tender and highly esteemed ^^ (p. 269). 

 The author of ' Wild Sports of the West ' bears his testimony to 

 what he terms " land bernacle" being " very delicious when kept 

 a sufficient time after being shot, before the cook transfers them 

 to the spif (p. 292). To quote further from tliis work, it is said 

 of " the barnacle," meaning most probably, from the great num- 

 bers seen, the brent goose, — " I saw a considerable extent of 

 sand literally black with this migratory tribe : they come here in 

 immense multitudes, but, from their coarse and fishy flavour, 

 afford little occupation to the water shooter. The land barnacles 

 are less numerous, although they are found in tolerable abundance. 



