326 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



portations of antelope from Yellowstone National Park, the 

 difficulties were finally overcome, and in 1925 Nelson reported 

 that the birth of three pairs of young had brought the total 

 number of this small band up to 17. 



Except for Oregon the Rocky Mountain States seem now to 

 hold the largest antelope populations. Nelson's account shows 

 Montana with some 44 herds and a total population of over 

 3,000; Wyoming leads with 27 areas in which a total of nearly 

 7,000 is carried; Colorado has 28 localities mostly in the eastern 

 half of the State where over 1,200 pronghorns are found; in 

 New Mexico the numbers were decreasing, but a total of 31 

 localities and nearly 1,700 animals was recorded in 1924. 

 In Arizona the estimates were 18 bands totaling about 650 

 animals; they appeared to be increasing on cattle ranges but 

 decreasing on sheep ranges in the State. In Utah the number 

 of bands was 10, with about 670 animals; in Idaho 14 bands 

 with about 1,500 animals. In Nevada, where once they were 

 plentiful, they were found in only 11 limited areas, but since 

 some of these are areas sparsely occupied by man the numbers 

 of antelope are large, aggregating over 4,200. Southeastern 

 Oregon, where the form oregonus is found, "forms part of a 

 rough, rocky desert covering also northern Nevada and south- 

 western Idaho, on which natural conditions have been ex- 

 ceedingly favorable for antelope. This region constitutes one 

 of the few areas in the United States where large herds of these 

 animals numbering hundreds still continue to congregate during 

 the winter season." Here they have increased in recent years 

 and were in 1924 estimated at over 2,000 animals. In Texas, 

 antelope formerly abounded on the plains in the western part, 

 "but with the occupation of the country they have decreased 

 until it has been possible to obtain definite information of only 

 42 existing bands, numbering about 2,400 animals, for the 

 entire State." While most of these are in the western third, a 

 few hundred are also found in the southwestern tip. A few 

 antelope remain in California, where once they were abundant; 

 in 1923 there were six widely separated areas in the State 

 where small bands were found totaling about 1,057. 



In comparison with these estimates of 1924, the following 

 issued by the U. S. Biological Survey are significant: South 

 Dakota, 4,508 (large increase) ; Nebraska, 750 (large increase) ; 

 Kansas, none (decrease); Oklahoma, 36 (increase); Montana, 



