Bottesford Moors.
_Mousehunt_ (Vol. viii., pp. 516. 606.).--I think the inquiry relative to
this animal may be satisfactorily answered by the following quotation from
a very excellent and learned work, entitled _A Natural History of British
and Foreign Quadrupeds, containing many Original Observations and
Anecdotes_, by James H. Fennell, 8vo., London, 1841:
"The Beech Marten is the _Martes foina_ of modern zoologists, the
_Martes Fagorum_ of Ray, the _Martes Saxorum_ of Klein, the _Mustela
Martes_ of Linnæus, and the _Mustela foina_ of Gmelin. Its English
synonymes are not less numerous; for, besides Beech Marten, it is
called Stone Marten, Martern, Marteron, Martlett, and _Mousehunt_. The
last name I insert on the authority of Henley, thee dramatic
commentator, who says it is the animal to which 'charming Willie
Shakspeare' thus alludes in _Romeo and Juliet_:
'_Capulet._ I have watch'd ere now
All night----
_Lady Capulet._ Ay, thou have been a _mouse-hunt_ in
your time.'--Act IV. Sc. 4.
"In Knight's _Pictorial Edition of Romeo and Juliet_ (1839), this and
many other terms equally requiring explanation are left quite
unelucidated; though one picture of this said _mouse-hunt_ would
doubtless have been more assistant to the professed object of the work
than the two unnecessary pictures it contains of certain winged
monstrosities called Cupids."--P. 106.
Mr. Fennell goes on to state, that the Beech Marten (_alias_ Mousehunt)
inhabits the woods and forests of most parts of Europe, seldom quitting
them except in its nocturnal excursions; and he adds that--
"The _Beech Marten_ does sometimes, in the Highlands of Scotland, where
it is common, and called _Tuggin_, take to killing lambs, and makes sad
havoc. Luckily, however, it is nearly exterminated in the south of that
country. In Selkirkshire, it has been observed to descend to the shore
at night time to feed upon mollusks, particularly upon the large Basket
Mussel (_Mytilus modiolus_). But the ordinary prey of both this and the
Pine Marten appears to the hares, rabbits, squirrels, moles, rats,
_mice_; game birds; turkeys, pigeons, and other domestic poultry, and
also the wild singing birds."--P. 109.
In the above work Mr. Fennell has given many other interesting zoological
elucidations of Shakspeare, and of various other ancient poets.