ANTELOPE or PRONG HORN 



Antilocapra americana. 



Once ranging in large bands over all the open plains west 

 of the Mississippi, from southern Canada to Mexico, there now sur- 

 vive but a few scattered remnants of the family of which this North 

 American creature is the sole representative. Alone and unrelated 

 it stands, and, although called an antelope, is distinguished for- 

 ever from the true antelopes of the Old World by the yearly shed- 

 ding of the horns as well as by the prongs which grow out about 

 midway of their length, while it is quite as markedly separated 

 from the deer tribe by the hollow structure of these same horns. 



The rapid diminution of its numbers has aroused sufficient sen- 

 timent to protect it by law in most localities and we must hope that 

 the precaution has not been taken too late. Doubly necessary does 

 such action appear when we consider that this distinctive species 



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