236 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



Antelope abounded in all that region, yet the mud on the banks 

 never showed a sign of one coming there to drink. It seems 

 that the fleshy leaves of the abundant cactus supply them 

 both with food and drink/* 



E. H. Wuerpel, the well-known artist of St. Louis, writes 

 me similarly (March 30, 1901): 



"When I lived in Mexico, six years ago, Antelope were 

 still abundant on the upland plains as far south as Coahuila. 

 There is no water in the region they inhabit, but they find the 

 cactus leaves supply enough moisture." 



But what about the spines that are supposed to be the 

 sufficient defence of these vegetable cisterns .? Wuerpel writes 

 further: ''While crossing the region with oxen, we used to 

 burn the spines off the cactus and feed it to the cattle, and they 

 suffered no inconvenience for lack of water, although without 

 it for perhaps two days at a time." 



But how do the Antelope utilize them without the kindly 

 help of the fire-maker ? Some interesting light on this point 

 has been supplied me by G. B. Winton, of Nashville, Tenn., 

 who points out that not only cactus leaves, roots, and fruit are 

 eaten, but also those of numerous other species of desert plants 

 that store up water in their tissues. Many of these are nearly 

 spineless; *' others have the tufts of spines so wide apart that 

 a goat or a Deer may insert his muzzle between and get a good 

 bite, though a cow could not; others have soft spines, especially 

 where the leaf is new." 



Thus the desert plants afford both food and drink to the 

 desert creatures. 



DOMESTi- If captured when fully adult, Antelope are usually irre- 



CATION . J ' i J 



claimable. But, taken when a few days old, they are the most 

 tameable of our horned creatures. 



They are, however, extremely delicate at this age, and 

 difficult to bring up, though J. H. G. Bray, of Medicine Hat, 

 tells me that he has had good success with them, and reared 

 many Antelope kids by feeding them on cow's milk, one-third 

 water, and a little sugar, giving them many feedings a day. 



