mI THE PRONGHORN 307 
between those of the Deer and those of the Antelopes. They are 
unquestionably “ hollow-horned ” Ruminants, in that there is an 
osseous horn core, upon which lies the actual horn. This, how- 
ever, is softer than in Bovidae, and is semicorneous. It is, indeed, 
more lke the velvet of the stag’s horn. Moreover the horn is 
branched, and there are sometimes even three prongs. Further- 
more, it 1s now certainly known that the Pronghorn sheds its 
horns not merely occasionally, but with definite annual periodicity. 
It so far resembles the Deer. But it must be borne in mind that 
in the Deer the horn shedding is a twofold process. There 1s first 
of all the stripping off of the velvet, and secondly the shedding 
of a portion of the horn core down to the burr. What happens 
in the Prongbuck is the shedding of the true horn only (= the 
shedding of the velvet), not of the horn core. It appears, how- 
ever, that occasionally (once in their lifetime 7) certain undoubted 
Antelopes may cast their horns.’ Another external character of 
this animal is the total absence of “ false hoofs,” the last vestiges 
of the second and fifth digits. The Pronghorn is a gregarious 
creature running in bands of six up to hundreds. 
Fam. 9. Bovidae.—This family, more extensive than that of 
the Cervidae, contains not only the Oxen, Sheep, and Goats, but 
also the Antelopes, save only Antilocapra, which must be placed 
in a family by itself The only two points which distinguish 
all Bovidae from all Cervidae* are the nature of the horns 
already described, and the polycotyledonary condition of the 
placenta. Moreover the horns are usually present in both sexes, 
though there are exceptions, such as the Sheep and Goats, and 
various genera of Antelopes (Zragelaphus, Tetraceros, etc.). There 
are never the first two phalanges belonging to the rudimentary 
digits II., V.,as there are in all Deer excepting Cervulus. There 
is as a rule but one orifice to the lachrymal duct. There are 
never persistent upper canine teeth in either sex. 
It is exceedingly difficult to separate the Antelopes from the 
Sheep, Oxen, and Goats. Their inclusion along with these creatures 
in one family, Bovidae, shows that no differences of an important 
character exist. The term Antelope is rather of popular than 
* “*On the Shedding of the Horns in the Prongbuck,”’ see Bartlett, Proc. Zool. 
Soc. 1865, p. 718; Canfield, zbid. 1866, p. 105; Murie, ibid. 1870, p. 334; and 
Forbes, bid. 1880, p. 540. 
2 The distinction between the two families has been called ‘‘ fanciful.” It may 
be admitted that it is not great. 
