\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} (Zo["o]l.), 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}.