33^ Game of Europe, W. & N. Asia & America 



distributional area, although the species is still met with, albeit in 

 diminished numbers, from the Saskatchewan southwards into Mexico. It 

 is satisfactory to learn that the pronghorn has suffered less severely from the 

 onslaughts of the hide-hunter than is the case with most of the larger 

 animals of the prairies, and that it is still comparatively abundant in many 

 parts of its habitat. One reason for this comparative immunity from 

 pursuit is the small size, and consequently low value, ot its skin. Another 

 is to be found in the keen sight and smell of the animal itself, as well as 

 its great speed ; all these factors combining to render successful pursuit a 

 matter of much trouble and difficulty. And the hide -hunter strongly 

 objects to wasting his powder and lead ; with him every bullet ought most 

 certainly to have its billet. 



In Mr. Rowland Ward's Records of Big Game two pairs of prongbuck 

 horns are entered as measuring ij inches or over; the larger of these, 

 which came from North-Western Canada and is now in the possession ot 

 Mr. J. Whitaker, having a length of \j\ inches, with a basal girth of 

 6^ inches. The next best pair are the property of Mr. Otho Shaw. 



The hunters of the Fort Union district seem to have been the first to 

 discover that the pronghorn annually casts its horns. The horns in the 

 case of full-grown animals are shed in October, but by immature bucks 

 not till January. Essentially the horns are closely welded hairs, and in 

 a prongbuck from which they have recently been shed, the summits ot 

 the bony cores on the head will be seen to be capped with small new 

 horns, looking somewhat like extinguishers on the top of a pair ot candles. 

 These new horns appear to have partly formed beneath the old ones, before 

 the latter were shed ; although their tips are quite hard and horny, lower 

 down they become soft, and gradually pass by imperceptible degrees into 

 the hair covering the lower part of the cores. As the new horn gradually 

 projected above the core on which it grew, it appears to have loosened and 

 carried up with it the old sheath, which, by the breaking and tearing away 



