showing the birds hanging by their beaks, just ready to
fall, the wings small and not opened out. Of course, barnacles and
similar creatures are not found on trees away from the ocean.

Gerard, who wrote a famous book on plants, called the _Herbal_, was a
good observer, and yet he believed in the barnacle geese. People living
on the coast of Lancashire told him all about them. Upon old and decayed
timbers, so he writes, are found shells like mussels, but whitish and
sharp-pointed; the inside of them is soft, like silk lace, but by
degrees this takes the form of a bird, which when grown is larger than a
duck, and smaller than a goose. 'Those who have seen such birds,' he
adds, 'tell me they are black and white, spotted as magpies are, with a
black bill and legs.' According to others, the barnacle geese could both
run and fly. Whatever were the birds they saw, or fancied they saw, it
is certain they were not hatched in the way described.

COUNTING.

Do you remember learning to count? I dare say not. But I am pretty sure
you learnt to count on your fingers, or perhaps you were given bright
counters or shells to use instead.

Savages learn to count in just the same ways; most of them use their
fingers, and so they learn to count by tens as we do, and some of them
give their numbers very funny names. The Indians on the Orinoco call
five 'one hand' and ten 'two hands.' But they use their feet as well and
call fifteen 'whole foot,' 'sixteen,' 'one to the other foot,' and
twenty 'one man.' This plan becomes very complicated with higher
figures, for twenty-one is 'one to the hand of the next man.'

The African savages count in much the same way. The Zulu for six, is
'tatisitupa,' which means 'taking the thumb,' that is, the man who is
counting has used the five fingers of one hand, and is beginning to use
the second hand, starting at the thumb.

Some races use the joints of the finger instead of the fingers
themselves, and they are very badly off, for they can only count up to
three.

Some Australian tribes count thus--one, two, two-one, two-two, and can
go no further. Other races have only three words, 'one,' 'two,' 'a great
many.'

But savages sometimes use other things for counting than fingers or
joints. Our own word 'calculate' means 'working with pebbles.' One
African tribe calls forty 'ogodze,' which means 'string,' because they
use cowrie-shells strung together by forties for counting. Their name
for h