Ber"ni*cle (?), n. [OE. bernak,
bernacle; cf. OF. bernac; prob. fr. LL. bernacula for
hibernicula, bernicula, fr. Hibernia; the birds coming
from Hibernia or Ireland. Cf. 1st Barnacle.] A bernicle
goose. [Written also barnacle.]
Bernicle goose (Zoöl.), a goose
(Branta leucopsis), of Arctic Europe and America. It was formerly
believed that it hatched from the cirripeds of the sea (Lepas),
which were, therefore, called barnacles, goose barnacles, or Anatifers. The
name is also applied to other related species. See Anatifa and
Cirripedia.