BISON 



has many times discovered bands of antelope running on the 

 open plains where but for these heliographic patches they 

 would have been beyond ordinary eyesight. These long 

 rump hairs lie like other hairs on the skin and give little indi- 

 cation of their strikingly conspicuous appearance until the 

 animal suddenly throws them up into action. The antelope 

 fawns at a very early age begin "flashing" their white rump 

 patches on being startled or excited. 



" Curiosity. — In addition to its physical peculiarities the 

 pronghorn is very different psychologically from any other of 

 our large-game animals. Early in their acquaintance with 

 these animals hunters became familiar with their intense 

 curiosity, and have employed various methods to toll them 

 within gunshot. One of these was to lie on the ground and 

 wave a red flag slowly back and forth on a ramrod. Another 

 strange performance often said to have the same effect was 

 for a hunter to lie on his back and kick his heels in the air. 



"The natural home of the pronghorn was on the treeless, 

 grassy, and often desert plains of the continent. The animals 

 would scatter singly or in small bands in spring and summer, 

 especially during the period when the does were caring for 

 their young fawns. As winter approached they began to 

 gather in bands, sometimes containing thousands of individu- 

 als, and to seek favorable feeding grounds for the winter." 

 (Nelson, E. W., Status of the Pronghorned Antelope, ig22-iQ24, 

 U. S. Dept. of Agri. Dept. Bull. No. 1346, Aug. 1925.) 



The fawns number two as a general rule, but sometimes 

 there may be three. They are born in May or earl}'- June. 



Family Bovidae. Cattle, Sheep, Antelopes, and 

 Goats 



Both sexes (usually) with permanent, hollow horns grown 

 on bony cores which arise from the frontal bones; canines and 

 upper incisors absent; second and fifth digits rudimentary or 

 absent. 



Genus Bison 



Dentition: Incisors, f ; Canines, §; Premolars, |; Molars, §=32, 

 537 



