JACKASS RABBIT. ‘ b hey f 
The largest rattlesnalse yet killed was added, by the Major’s 
unerring six shooter, to our collection—eight feet long and 
eleven rattles. Wagon shot a buck antelope, the first we had 
had in camp. They resemble the goat more than the deer, 
and the flesh also tastes more like goat’s flesh. 
This specimen—a full grown buck—had a full head of home, 
short, of a shining black color, with one branch. His head 
was an ornament to our collection. 
The antelope is the fleetest animal known on the plains, 
‘greyhounds, which Captain Marcy had with him on a former 
expedition, never having been able to overtake one, though 
they ran down many of the red deer and jackass rabbits. He 
says that the longer the h tinued between the ant lope . 
and the hounds, the greater the distance seemed to be between 
them. 
The soil was red opie and very poor, in fact all the soil 
thus far from the Belknap road, was, with little exception, 
very thin. 
On the afternoon’s march one of the party killed a jackass . 
rabbit, a very large species, called jackass, from the length of 
its ears. It resembles the English hare in color and general 
appearance. This specimen had ears nine inches long and 
standing perfectly erect upon its head ; its body from tip to 
tip was seventeen inches long, and height ten inches. It 
made a very savoury breakfast dish. 
We reached the main Witchita for our evening camp, and 
after a bath in the brackish water of the stream, made a 
