BERNACLE GOOSE, 
543 
tc But what our eyes have seene, and hands have 
touched, we shall declare. There is a small island 
in Lancashire, called the Pile of Foulders, wherein 
are found broken pieces of old and bruised ships, 
some whereof have been cast thither 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 spume or froth that in time breed- 
eth into certain shells, in shape like those of a 
muscle, but sharper pointed, and of a whitish 
colour; one end whereof is fastened unto the inside 
of the shell, even as the fish of oysters and muscles 
are ; the other end is made fast unto the belly of a 
rude masse or lumpe which in time cometh 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 aforesaid 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 has all come forth, and hangeth 
only by the bill ; in 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 or beake, and feathers black and 
white, spotted in such a manner as our magpie, 
called in some places pie annet, which the people 
of Lancashire call by no other name than tree- 
goose ; which place aforesaid, and all those places 
adjoining, do so much abound therewith, that one 
of the best is bought for three-pence. For the truth 
