_Journal of Sir William Beeston._--In reply to the inquiry of "C." (No. 25. p. 400), I can state that a journal of Sir William Beeston is now preserved in the British Museum (MS. Add. 12,424.), and was presented to the national collection in 1842, by Charles Edward Long, Esq. It is a folio volume, entirely autograph, and extends from Dec. 10, 1671, when Beeston was in command of the Assistance frigate in the West Indies, to July 21, 1673; then from July 6 to September 6, 1680, in a voyage from Port Royal to London; and from December 19, 1692, to March 9, 1692-3, in returning from Portsmouth to Jamaica; and, lastly, from April 25 to June 28, 1702, in coming home from Jamaica to England. By a note written by Mr. Long on the fly-leaf of the volume, it appears that Sir William Beeston was baptized in Dec. 2, 1636, at Titchfield, co. Hants, and was the second son of William Beeston, of Posbrooke, the same parish, by Elizabeth, daughter of Arthur Bromfield. (See _Visit. C. 19. Coll. Arm._) His elder brother, Henry, was Master of Winchester, and Warden of New College; and his daughter and heir Jane married, first, Sir Thomas Modyford, Bart., and, secondly, Charles Long, to whom she was a second wife. To this may be added, that Sir William received the honour of knighthood at Kensington, October 30, 1692, and was Governor of Jamaica from 1693 till 1700. In the Add. MS. {445} 12,430. is contained a narrative, by Sir William Beeston, of the descent by the French on Jamaica, in June, 1694; as also the copy of a Journal kept by Col. William Beeston from his first coming to Jamaica, 1655-1680. M. _Shrew_ (No. 24. p. 381.).--I know not whether it will at all help the inquiry of "W.R.F." to remind him that the local Dorsetshire name of the shrew-mouse is "_shocrop_" or "_shrocrop_." The latter is the word given in Mr. Barnes's excellent _Glossary_, but I have just applied for its name to two labourers, and their pronunciation of it is clearly the former. I should be glad to hear any conjecture as to the final syllable. The only _folk-lore_ connected with it in this part of the country seems to be that long ago reported by Pennant and others, viz. "Cats will kill, but not eat it." C.W.B. _Trunck Breeches._--"X.Y.Z." (No. 24. p. 384) will also find the following in Dryden's _Translation of Perseus_:-- "There on the walls by Polynotu's hand, The conquered Medians in _trunk_-breeches stand." Certainly a very free translation. See the original, Sat. 3. _Trunck_ is from the Latin _truncus_, cut short, maimed, imperfect. In the preface to _Johnson's Dictionary_ we have the following:-- "The examples are too often injudicious _truncated_." Vide also _Shaw, Museum Liverianum_, or rather examples given in _Richardson's Dictionary_. Shaw, in speaking of the feathers of certain birds, says,