36 



MAMMALS OF AMERICA 



long known this, but for many years the natural- 

 ists, including Audubon himself, would not ac- 

 cept the fact. Its feet have no lateral hoofs, 

 or dewhoofs. It has no gland below the eye, 

 nor any tufts of hair on the knees. It can 

 erect the w-hite hairs on its rump, and when 

 the animal is in fighting mood, they instantly 

 bristle up. 



The Pronghorn is strictly a North American 

 animal, and is the most graceful and the fleetest 



Canada, and southward into Mexico. At the 

 present day only a few small, widely scattered 

 herds exist, in California, Oregon, Utah, Idaho. 

 Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, 

 Wyoming and Montana ; from the extreme east- 

 erly and westerly limits of its former range it 

 has disappeared entirely. 



In its wild state, the Pronghorn normally pre- 

 fers a barren rolling country or naked plains, 

 and avoids timber and broken ground ; it has, 



\' 



riintncraph hv E. R. WaiTPn 



PRONGHORNED ANTELOPE 

 A graceful, fleet-footed animal that has no relatives in America, but occupies a family by itself 



of all our quadru]X'ds. Until within the past 

 few years it has been extensively slaughtered, 

 and. but for the timely legal ]>rotection afforded 

 it by all the States within whose boundaries it is 

 still found, it must in the course of a compara- 

 tively short period have suffered complete ex- 

 termination. The Pronghorn first became known 

 to scientists through a specimen brought back 

 by Lewis and Clark from their expedition. Its 

 range originally extended from the Mississippi 

 River to the Pacific Ocean, nortliward into 



however, been killed occasionally in places miles 

 away from the nearest plains, and in recent 

 years has been known to bring up its young in 

 rough, hilly country. It avoids forests, and has 

 no liking for high, bare mountains. 



The Pronghorn is smaller than the northern 

 \^irginia Deer, but is more compactly built. The 

 animal has a fuller muzzle than the Deer ; its 

 eye. nearly as large as that of the Elephant, is 

 intensely black ; and the e.xpression. like that 

 of the Gazelle, is soft .uid gentle. The ears. 



