PRONG-HORNS 



branches off about two-thirds from the end, from 

 which the animal received its name. Below, the 

 horn is very broad and flat, but above it the 

 horn runs to a sharp point and is curved inward. 

 These animals being great fighters, nature has 

 provided them with horns that turn inward to 

 prevent them from mortally wounding one 

 another during the. rutting season. The buck's 

 body is covered with long hair of light yellowish 

 color; it is thick, coarse and stiff, somewhat 

 crinkled and quite brittle. Upon the neck during 

 the winter season is carried a thick, coarse mane 

 nearly six inches long. This is shed in the follow- 

 ing spring leaving but a black streak of short 

 hairs. A white band about two inches in breadth 

 partly encircles the throat and beneath this is a 

 brown band of the same breadth. The under 

 parts are white. On each side of the rump is a 

 patch of white hair considerably longer than that 

 covering the remainder of the body. These 

 hairs when raised flash in the sunlight and stand 

 out in all directions like the petals of a chrysan- 

 themum ; at the same time a pleasant musk odor 

 is thrown out upon the air from glands situated 

 at the base of the hairs. 



[49] 



