208 THE PRESENT AND FUTURE 



diminishing. The existing bands, already small, are steadily 

 growing smaller. The antelope are killed lawlessly, and the 

 crimes of such slaughter are, in nearly every instance, suc- 

 cessfully concealed. 



Previously we have based strong hopes for the preserva- 

 tion of the antelope species on the herd in the Yellowstone 

 Park, but those animals are vanishing fearfully fast. In 

 1908 the Yellowstone Park was credited with two thousand 

 head. In 1913 the number alive, by actual count, was only five 

 hundred head ; and this after twenty-five years of protection! 

 Where have the others gone? This shows, alas! that per- 

 petual close seasons do not always bring back the vanished 

 thousands of game! 



Here is a reliable report (June 29, 1912) regarding the 

 prong-horned antelope in Lower California, from E. W. 

 Nelson: "Antelope formerly ranged over nearly the entire 

 length of Lower California, but are now gone from a large 

 part of their ancient range, and their steadily decreasing 

 numbers indicate their early extinction throughout the pen- 

 insula." 



In captivity the antelope is exasperatingly delicate and 

 short-lived. It has about as much stamina as a pet monkey. 

 As an exhibition animal in zoological gardens and parks it is 

 a failure; for it always looks faded, spiritless and dead, like 

 a stuffed animal ready to be thrown into the discard. Zool- 

 ogists cannot save the prong-horn species save at long range, 

 in preserves so huge that the sensitive little beast will not 

 even suspect that it is confined. 



Two serious attempts have been made to transplant and 



