18 CAMP-FIRES OF A NATURALIST. 



to that of a cow and stands up a little beyond the 

 prong. The old horn does not drop off and then let 

 the new one grow as in the case of antlers, but the old 

 horn stays on the core to protect the new one while it 

 is growing. As the new horn-skin develops, a lot of 

 coarse hairs grow from it and penetrate the old horn 

 shell near the base, where it is quite thin. This tends 

 to retain the old shell in place as a protection to the 

 tender horn growing under it. As the new horn 

 grows it produces a hard tip which fits on the end 

 of the bony core, and this hard portion gradually 

 extends or grows down over the bony core toward its 

 base. When the entire horn is hard, then the old 

 horn or shell is dropped off, leaving the bony horn- 

 core covered with the new horn-skin. The new horn, 

 when it first sees daylight, is a queer instrument of 

 defence. Its upper part is a true horn, while the 

 lower part is a thick skin covered with coarse hair. 

 It grows harder and harder all summer just during 

 the period when the true deer have no antlers, and 

 is perfect by the first of August." 



"Well, there's one thing about antelope," said 

 Snow; "its meat can't be beaten." 



"It's all right for a few meals," was the reply of 

 Mudge as he took another mouthful, "but for a 

 steady diet it is not so good as buffalo. It cloys the 

 stomach when you get too much of it." 



Dyche's success induced him to make another trial 

 a few days later, and he went after more antelope ; 

 but late in the afternoon he returned to camp with an 

 immense rattlesnake trailing over his shoulder. The 

 reptile was one of the largest ever seen by any mem- 



