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 Cervidce. 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 that society. Eight 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 annulae 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: 



1 '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- 



