AT DAGGERS DRAWN 63 



considered, afford some very striking facts in regard to 

 these " secondary sexual characters," more especially 

 in so far as horns are concerned. In the first place 

 these weapons are permanent structures, taking the form 

 of a bony core ensheathed in horn, with which we may 

 compare the temporary covering of velvet in the deer : 

 in the second, they are unbranched. The only exception 

 to this rule is furnished by the Prong-horned Antelope, 

 wherein the sheath is both annually shed, and branched. 

 The branching, however, is very slight, taking the form 

 of a short forwardly directed prong about half-way up 

 the sheath, which is borne on a long bony pedicle recalling 

 that of the Muntjac. The shedding is due to the forma- 

 tion of new horn material at the base of the old sheath, 

 which is gradually forced off by the growth of the new 

 tissue. Structurally the horn of this remarkable Antelope 

 differs somewhat from that of its relatives. 



As may be seen in Plate 4, in the form of the 

 horns the typical hollow-horned ruminants present an 

 exceedingly varied range, and one often of great beauty 

 in the matter of curvature. That they serve as for- 

 midable weapons of offence was demonstrated during 

 191 2, when, according to the Annual Report of the 

 Government Game Reserves, published by the Pretoria 

 Government, the game warden. Major Stevenson 

 Hamilton, reported of the Antelopes that " many carcases 

 of males of almost all species, killed in single combat 

 with rivals, were found during the mating season, un- 

 touched by anything except vultures." As a rule, how- 

 ever, these animals, like the Sheep and Goats, and their 

 larger relatives the Cattle, seem to avoid a duel to 

 the death. One or two instances as to the general 

 character of these combats for the possession of mates 



