Prongbuck 225 



to be specialized for an important service. It is composed of 

 hair graded from short in the centre, to long at the front edges. 

 Under the skin of the part is a circular muscle by means of 

 which the hair can, in a moment, be raised and spread radially 

 into two great blooming twin chrysanthemums, more or less 

 flattened at the centre.* When this is done in the bright sun- 

 light they shine like tin pans, giving flashes of light that can be 

 seen farther than the animal itself, affording a conspicuous 

 identification mark that must be of great service to the species. 



Many years ago, while riding across the upland prairies of 

 the Yellowstone, I noticed certain white specks in the far 

 distance. They showed and disappeared several times, and 

 began moving southward. Then, in another direction, I dis- 

 covered other white flecks, which also seemed to flash and dis- 

 appear. A glass showed them to be Antelope, but without 

 wholly explaining the flashing or the moving, which ultimately 

 united the two bands. I made a note of the fact, but did not 

 understand it until the opportunity came to study Antelope in 

 the Washington Zoo. I had been quietly watching the grazing 

 herd on the hillside for some time; in fact, I was sketching, 

 which affords an admirable opportunity for watching animals 

 a long time minutely. I was so quiet that they seemed to have 

 forgotten me, when, contrary to rules, a dog chanced into the 

 Park. The wild Antelope has a habit of raising its head every 

 few minutes while grazing, in order to keep a sharp lookout 

 for danger, and these captives maintained the tradition of their 

 race. The first that did so saw the dog. It uttered no sound, 

 but gazed at the wolfish-looking intruder, and all the long white 

 hairs of the rump-patch were raised with a jerk that made the 

 patch flash in the sun. Each grazing Antelope saw the flash, 

 repeated it instantly, and raised his head to gaze in the direction 

 where the first was looking. At the same time I noticed on the 

 wind a peculiar musky smell — a smell that certainly came from 

 the Antelope — and was no doubt an additional warning. 



Some time later I had opportunity to make a careful dis- 

 section of the Antelope's rump-patch, and the keystone to the 

 arch of facts was supplied. My specimen, taken in Jackson's 



