ON THE PLAINS 263 



lose theirs in autiinu], ;it tlie end of the year's growth 

 and good grazing. When the time comes that the okl 

 horn is ripe it drops off'. If you coukl look at it, you 

 A^■ould lind it liollow lialf-way up, and see how it fitted 

 over the bony core from which it grew, and wliich is 

 a part of tlie animal's skull. Then you would see the 

 point of the soft new horn sprouting." 



" Why do Deer have to shed their prongs and horns ? " 

 asked Nat. " What are they good for, and isn't the 

 ground all prickly with them ? " 



" They are the weapons with which the males fight 

 each other when they choose their mates. You have 

 seen that birds often quarrel in the mating season and 

 peck and fly at each other, and the fourfoots are much 

 more jealous and disagreeable, the larger ones, like the 

 Bears and Deer, often fighting terrible battles. Their 

 mating season is in the autumn, and when it is over 

 they have no further use for tlieir weapons until the 

 new ones are ripe the next season." 



"Why don't they need them to light people and 

 other animals with?" asked Rap. 



" They use them in self -protection sometimes, but 

 in fighting other animals they usually strike with their 

 hoofs and are able to deal very powerful blows. One 

 of the ways in which the Deer family kills rattle- 

 snakes is to spring suddenly upon them with their four 

 feet close together. 



"The Pronghorn has its winter and summer ranges 

 like the Buffalo. In summer, unless drought turns the 

 coarse grass into hay, they fare well; but in Avinter the 

 poor Antelope huddle together in such shelter as they 

 can find, and if snowed in, not having snow-shoe feet to 



