M U S 
M U S 
MUSEBYTER. An appellation given by 
fome ichthyologifts to the dobula, a German fifh, 
found in leveral of the rivers of that country, 
and nearly refennbling the comnnon dace. 
MUSIC-SHELL. An appellation given to 
a fpecies of fliell-fifh of the murex kind; re- 
markable for it's variegations, confifting of fe- 
veral feries of fpots, placed in rovv's of lines, 
like the notes of mufic. 
MUSIMON. An animal generally efteemed 
a fpecies of Iheep; and defcribed by the ancients 
as common in Corfica, Sardinia, Barbary, and 
the north-eaft parts of Afia. 
Belon calls this creature a fpecies of goat, 
having large horns bending backwards, clofe at 
their bafes, and diftant at their points, with cir- 
cular rugasj and diftinguifhes it by the nam.e of 
Tragelaphus, from the apparent mixture of the 
goat and deer in it's conformation. 
BufFon fuppofes it to be the fheep in a wild 
ftate; and, as fuch, it is defcribed by Pennant. 
It lives in mountainous countries, and runs with 
amazing fleetnefs among the rocks. Thofe of 
Kamtfchatka are fo very ftrong, that ten men 
are fcarcely able to hold one of them : their horns 
are fo large, as fometimes to weigh thirty pounds; 
and fo capacious, that young foxes often flicker 
themfelves in the hollows of fuch as accidentally 
drop in the defarts. 
MUSK; the Mofchus Mofchifcrus of Lin- 
nseus. This animal was long the difgrace of the 
naturalift : for though the drug which goes by 
it's name was imported for ages, and ftill im- 
proved in it's reputation as a perfume and a me- 
dicine, it remained a doubt whether it was pro- 
duced by a hog, an ox, a goat, or a deer. How- 
ever, we have now obtained a pretty accurate 
knowledge of the Mufl<, though we are ftill 
doubtful whether it ruminates or not. 
This animal is deftitute of horns, as well as 
of the fore-teeth in the upper jaw; but it has on 
each fide a flender tufk, near two inches long, 
very fhort on the inner edge, and hanging out 
quite expofed to view. It is three feet fix inches 
long from the head to the tail; the tail is only 
about an inch long; and the head about half a 
foot. In the fore-part of the head it refembles a 
grey-hound; the ears, which are ereft, and about 
two inches long, are internally of a pale yellow co- 
lour, and externally of a deep brown ; the hoofs are 
long, and much divided, fomewhat refem.bling 
thofe of the goat kind ; the hair on the whole 
body, which is remarkable for it's foftnefs and fine 
texture, is ereft, and very long, each hair being 
marked with fhort waves from top to bottom ; 
the colour near the lower part is cinereous, black 
■ near the end, and tipt vv'ith ferruginous; on each 
fide of the lower jaw, under the corners of the 
m.outh, there is a tuft of thick hair ; the belly is 
whitifh ; and the tail is of the fame colour. The 
female is inferior in fize to the male; it's nofe is 
fharper ; it wants the two tuflcs ; and has two final! 
teats. 
Mufks inhabit the kingdom of Thibet, the 
province of Mohang Meng in China, Tonquin, 
and Bontan. They are found from latitude 60 to 
45 ; but never wander fo far fouth, except when 
heavy falls of fnow force them thither, through 
hunger, to feed on the corn and new-grown 
rice. They naturally inhabit fuch mountains as 
are covered with pines; they delight in folitudes, 
fhunning mankind; and, if purfued, afcend the 
higheft: cliffs, alike inacceflible to men and dogs. 
They are exceedingly timid ; and poffefs fuch a 
quick fenfe of hearing, that they can difcover 
their enemies at a very great diftance. 
The celebrated drug that bears the name of 
this animal, and which is produced from the 
male, is found in a bag or tumour on the belly 
of that fex only, about the fize of a hen's egg: 
it is furnifiied with two fmall orifices; the largeft 
is oblong, and the other round; the one is naked, 
and the other covered with long hairs. In this 
bag the muflc is contained ; for we are informed 
by Gimelin that, on fqueezing it, the perfume 
was forced through the apertures, and confifted 
of a fat brown matter. The hunters cut off^ the 
bag, and preferve it for fale ; but they frequently 
adulterate it's contents, by adding a number of 
infignificant articles, merely to enc reafe the weight. 
Thefe animals muft certainly be extremely nu- 
merous; for Tavernier informs us, that he pur- 
chafed feven thoufand fix hundred and feventy- 
three mufi<: bags in one journey. The Thibet 
muflv is much fuperior, and confequently dearer, 
than that of any other place. That of Mufcovy 
is reckoned the worft. When in large quantities, 
it emits a very ft'rong fmell; but wlien mixed and 
diffufed, it fends forth a moft grateful perfume. 
Indeed, no fubfcance that we know of has a 
ftronger or more permanent fmell : a fingle grain 
of muflc will perfume a whole room; and it's 
odour will remain for fevcral days without any 
fenfible diminution. But, when in a larger pro- 
portion, it will continue for years together; and 
appear but little wafted in it's weight, though 
it has filled the atmofphere with it's particles to a 
confiderable diftance. 
Muflc was formerly in the higheft repute as a 
perfume, and but little regarded as a medicine: 
at prefent, it's character is reverfed; and having 
been found of great utility in phyfic, it is but 
little regarded for the purpofes of elegance. It 
is particularly ferviceable in nervous and hvfteric 
diforders; and, in fuch cafes, is perhaps the moft 
powerful remedy now in ufe. 
The flefli of the Muflc animal, though much 
infe6led with this drug, is neverthelefs eaten by 
the Ruflians and Tartars. 
Musk, Brazilian; the Cuguacu-ete of Marc- 
grave. This fpecies is about the fize of the roe- 
buck: in the ears, which are about four inches 
long, the veins are very apparent j the eyes are 
large and black; and the fpace about the mouth 
is of the fame colour. The hind-legs arc longer 
than the fore-ones ; and the tail is about fix inches 
long. The hair on the whole body is fijort and 
fmooth; the head and neck are tawny, mixed 
with cinereous; the back, fides, cheft, and thighs, 
are of a bright ruft-colour ; and the lower part of 
the belly and infides of the thighs are v^^hite. 
This animal, which inhabits Guiana and Brazil, 
is remarkably timid, fwift, and aftive. Like the 
goat, it will ftand on the point of a rock with it's 
four legs placed together. It is frequently ob- 
ferved to fwim acrofs rivers, and at fuch times is 
very eafily taken. The Indians hunt it with ex- 
treme avidity, for the fake of it's fiefli as well as 
it's perfume. The French of Guiana call it 
Biche, becaufe, notwithftanding it's refemblance 
to the deer kind, both f^xes are deftitute of 
horns. 
Musk, Indian. The Indian Muflc is of an 
olive-colour, and about feventeen inches in length. 
