284 BULLETIN NO. VII. 
most interesting feature, not of the head only, but of the whole 
bodily structure. These appendages have not been correctly 
understood until recently. In two particulars they differ from 
the antelopes; first, no true antelope has tines upon the horns; 
but the adult prong-buck has a sharp spur directed forward, 
and the shaft curves gracefully backward and inward, taking 
on a distinctly hamular shape; second, no true antelope sheds 
its horns, while the prong-buck drops its horns annually up to 
the maturity of the horn. This fact was first discovered by 
hunters whose practical experience gave their testimony good 
claim to credence; but even up to Audubon’s time this was 
discredited. Audubon indeed thought he had demonstrated 
the contrary by showing that the bony core of the horn is com- 
pletely ossified with the skull. His mistake grew out of the 
assumption that if the horns are deciduous they must be consti- 
tuted after the plan of the antlers of the Cervide. The first 
statement of the true deciduous character of the horns was 
published by Bartlett, who, as superintendent of the gardens of 
the Zoological Society of London, communicated his discovery 
in the journal of thatsociety. Hight years previous, however, 
Dr. C. A. Canfield made this discovery and reported the same 
to Prof. Baird whose caution prevented Dr. Canfield from 
receiving the credit of priority in this matter. 
The horn may be described as partially hollow, deciduous 
and seated upon a true core of bone about one-half the length 
of the horn. At the base the horn is corrugated, but there are 
no annule or rings of growth, indeed, the horn is rather long- 
itudinally striate. The length of an adult horn is about ten 
inches. The general form of the horn is most like that of the 
European chamois. In the female the horn is shorter, ap- 
pears later, is always simple and never exceeds three inches 
in length. This is an instructive fact, inasmuch as hollow- 
horned ruminants have horns in both sexes, while antlered 
ruminants are invariably males. Judge Caton has studied 
the process of shedding the horns carefully and I can do no 
less than copy quite fully his statements: 
‘‘Although, as before shown, both male and female antelopes 
have horns, we can only distinctly detect even the rudiments 
of the horns on the male at the time of its birth. It may then 
be felt as a slight protuberance on the skull. This rapidly in- 
creases in size, and when about four months old the horn 
breaks through the skin, and a horny knob appears. At this 
time it is not firmly set upon the core, which as yet is but rudi- 
