30 



THE OAK, 



tells the story so faithfully, that I cannot do better 

 than transcribe his o^^ii words. There are found 

 in the North of Scotland, and Islands adjacent, 

 called Orchades, certain trees whereon do grow 

 certain shells tending to russet, w^herein are con- 

 tained little hying creatures ; which shells, in 

 time of maturitie, do open, and out of them do 

 grow those little living things, which, falling into 

 the water, do become fowles, which we call barna- 

 kles ; in the North of England, hrent-geese ; and in 

 Lancashire, tree-geese ; but the other that do fall 

 upon the land perish, and come to nothing. Thus 

 much from the wTitings of others, and also from 

 the mouths of people of those parts, which may 

 very well accord with truth." This he gives from 

 the report of others ; now for what is proved by 

 the evidence of his own senses. There is a 

 small island in Lancashire, called the Pile of 

 Toulders, wherein are found the broken pieces of 

 old and bruised ships, some whereof have been 

 cast there by shipwracke ; and also the trunks and 

 bodies, with the branches, of old and rotten trees, 

 cast up there likewise, whereon is found a certain 

 spawn, or froth, that in time breaketh into cer- 

 tain shells, in shape like those of the muskle, but 

 sharper pointed, and of a whitish colour, wherein 

 is contained a thing in form like a lace of silke, 

 finely woven as it were together, of a whitish co- 

 lour, one end whereof is fastened unto the inside 

 of the shell, even as the fish of oisters and mus- 

 kles ; the other end is made fast unto the belly of 

 a rude mass, or lumpe, which in time cometh to 

 the shape and form of a bird. When it is per- 

 fectly formed the shell gapeth open, and the first 

 thing that appearethis the foresaid lace, or string; 



