English Anthony Stadlen observed on American Hickory: "Surely
shagbark hickory is not shagbark juniper?"
Kinbote took "shagbark"
to mean the tree he found growing in an eastward slope of Shade's
front-yard, a hickory ( asking the List again: can one hang a swing on
its branches when the tree is about 60 years old?).
Kinbote's line
49 (on shagbark/hickory) mentions Shade's old poem about " a muscat grape",
which he then interprets as suggesting a "cat and mouse game" between
Gradus and Shade.
And yet, this same
idea also traverses Judge Goldsworth's little notes left around the house with
various instructions for his lodger, including one about feeding a cat.
These "calendric" activities are outlined in K's previous commentary
to lines 47-48, when he mentions "the diet of the black cat that
came with the house... Position of the sun, daily and seasonal, was given for
the several windows... My dear Shade roared with laughter when I led him on a
tour of inspection and had him find some of those bunny eggs for
himself".
Wouldn't it be possible
to understand that here the author (VN) is advising the readers
about bunny-egg messages that are spread all over his book?
That he is playing a "muscat" game with his readers? That we must
either open various windows in a specified succession, move furniture
or... spy on Shade?
Jansy