118 THE AMERICAN ANTELOPE, OR PRONG-HORN. 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE AMERICAN ANTELOPE, OR PRONG-HORN. 



ANTELOCAPEA AMERICANA ANTILOPE FUECIFER. 



Description. — The male antelope has short, black, flat, 

 tapering horns, arching towards each other ; the points are 

 directed backwards ; a small branch projects from each horn 

 near the middle. The neck, back, and legs are of a yellowish 

 brown ; the belly and chest are white ; the sides are reddish- 

 Avhite ; three white bars or bands cross the throat ; red hairs, 

 tipped with black, form a kind of mane on the back of the 

 neck extending from the occiput to the spring of the shoulders. 

 A dark spot at the back of the cheek-bone exhales a strong 

 odour. The tail is short ; a large spot of pure white covers 

 the rump. 



The female is much smaller, has horns as well as the male, 

 shaped in the same manner, but not nearly so large. 



Weight. — As with the American deer, the weight varies 

 considerably ; but they weigh about one-third less than the 

 deer. 



npHE true position of the antelope in the animal 

 ^ kingdom was for a long time a disputed question 

 with naturalists, some being inclined to class it amongst 

 the deer proper, while others contended that it ought 

 to be ranked with the goats. In the case of the 



