1 588 
Of the Hiftorie of Plants. 
L 
IB. 
*f TheDeferiptton. 
H Auing trauelled from the Grates growing in the bottomcof the fenny waters the Wood, 
and mountains, euen vnto Libanus it felfe ■ and alfo the lea, and bowels fa ? ; 
are amued at the end of our Hiftorie . thinking it not impertinent to the con^Sf 
fame, to end with one of the maruells of this land (we may fay of the world ) The h ifln l 
Of » fet ford, .ccorfingro ,bc wor.hirdTe „d „U thLif.wi 
peculiar volume, but alfo a deeper fearch into the bowels of nature, than my intended nurrW an f* 
fuffer me to wade into, my fttfficiencie alfo confidered • leaning the hiftorie tlKTeofrom'h l?^' 1 
vnto fome excellent men, learned in the fecrets of nature, to be both fined and refined ■ iff 
fpace take it as it falleth out, the naked and bare truth, though vnpolifhed There arefoimrf 
North parts of Scotland and the Iflands adiacent, called Orcliades certain trees whe Jnnf ^ ‘ ^ 
certame fhells of a white cotour tending to rufTet, wherein are contained little ujEjtST' 
which fliells in time ofmatuntiedoopen.andoutof them P-rnw rhrrf,. l.r.u r • ,? creatllr es: 
felling into the water do become fowles, which we call Barfakles in^thc North of ’eSS K h ‘ Ch 
Geefe ; and in Lancaihire, tree Geefe ; but the other that do fall vpon the land neri/h anT ’ rant 
Jhips fome whereof haue been caft thither by (hipwracke, and alfo the rrunf W b . r “ lf «* 
branches of old and rotten trees, caft vp there likewife whereon is found a cerraine fpume'o/f 
that in time breedeth vnto certame fhels, in fhape like thofe of the Muskle but fharoS nnWj* 
and ofa whitifo colour : wherein is contained a thing in forme like a lace of filke (fo ? P ' cd) 
itwererogethe^ofawhitith colour, one end whereof is feftned vntotheinfideofthe^ 0 °"^ 
the hfh of Oifters and Muskles are : theotherend is made feft vnto the belly of f rude nClr" 
lumpe, which in time commeth to the fhape and forme ofa Bird : when it is LfcftlX f 7 
jlp fP Ct l 3nd the firft t J hlng that a PP careth is the forefaid lace or filing . next come 2 ” 
legs of the bird hanging out, and as it groweth greater itopenerh the fit ell by decrees til ' 
it is all come forth, and hangeth onely by the bill : in fhort fpace after it commefh to foil n ? 8 • ' 
if H and / all ® ch * nt0 th ^ fea > ' vberc 1C gathereth feathers, and groweth to a fowle bieeer thlfvrT 
lard, and lefTer than a Goofc, hawing blacke legs and bill or beake, and feathers b fadm v* ' 
fpotted in fuch manner as is our Mag-Pie,called in fome places a Pie- Anner which Sen f 
Lancafoire call by no other name than a tree Goofe: which place aforefeid and all rlW Pe0P C °f 
hereof S T° ’ ab ° l "- d r . llere ' vich > tbat °ne of the beft is bought for three pence For dftmrt 
Moreouer,it flrould feeme that there is another fort hereof; the hiftorie of which is true and of 
Ruf nefl r n ° W i lc , dge : f ° r traueIIl ng vpon the fhore of our Englifo coaft betweenc Doner and 
Rumney, I found the trunkeofan old rotten tree, which (with fomehelpe that I procured bv pf 
foermens wiues that were there attending their husbands rerurne from the fea) we dmifout of the 
watery dry land : vpon this rotten tree I found growing many thoufinds of longfrTS b fed 
ders, m foape like vnto puddings newly filled, before they be fodden, which wereff vdf rr lnf 
Riming . at the nether end whereof did grow a (hell fiflr, fefhioned fomewhat like a fmall Muskfo 1 
btmuch whiter, refembling a (hell fifo that groweth vpon the rockes about GarnfeyaS S 
called a Lympit : many of thefe ft, el Is I brought with me to London, which after I had of n 7r’ 
Sf" T 8 f “" °W,i» »hich Si 
I found lining things that were very naked, in foape like a Bird : in others the Birds rnf f f f 
cafled°Rf f W e fhc “ ha [ fe open 3 and the Bird ready to fall out, which nodoufo were the FowS 
* , fernakles. IdarenotabfolutelyauoucheuerycircumftanceofthefirftDarrofrfo'ch'ii 
■ concerning the tree that beareth thofe buds aforefeid but will Jeaue it to a further m r hlftor y> 
iyauouch ; and boldly put downe for ventre. Now if any will obieft that this tree ivh.vi r 7 
haf Soiftt rtf' 
■t Barna^le^vyhofe fabulous breed my Author here fets downe, anddmers others haue 
alfo 
