Goose barnacle migrate, it was thought that barnacle geese, "Branta leucopsis", developed from this crustacean, since they were never seen to nest in temperate Europe, hence the English names "goose barnacle", "barnacle goose" and the scientific name "Lepas anserifera" (, "goose"). The confusion was prompted by the similarities in colour and shape. Because they were often found on driftwood, it was assumed that the barnacles were attached to branches before they fell in the water. The archdeacon of Brecon, Gerald of Wales, made this claim in his "Topographia Hiberniae". Since barnacle geese were thought to be "neither flesh, nor born of flesh",
Borka: The Adventures of a Goose with No Feathers named it one of the top ten winning works, which composed the ballot for a public election of the nation's favourite. Random House published the U.S. edition in February 1964 (44 pages; ). According to "Kirkus Reviews", Borka is an ugly duckling who "does not undergo a transformation; she is as bald as a goose as she was when a gosling. ... The freely stylized illustrations in bold lines and appropriate, vivid colors are many and strong." Borka: The Adventures of a Goose with No Feathers Borka: The Adventures of a Goose With No Feathers is a children's picture book