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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 into 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 great- 
er it openeth the shell by degrees, till at 
length it has all come forth, and hangeth 
only by the bill : in a short space after it 
cometh 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 black legs, 
and bill orbeake, and feathers black and 
white, spotted in such manner as our mag- 
pie, called in sbme places pie-annet, which 
the people of Lancashire call by no other 
name than tree-goose ; which place afore- 
said, and all those places adjoining, do so 
much abound therewith, that one of the 
best is bought for three-pence. For the 
