42 THE ANTELOPE OF AMERICA. 



choice, although pvobably if driven by dire necessity he might 

 take tree food, but tliis is only inference. My observations 

 on this point have been careful and continuous with excellent 

 opportunities. I have often spent hours watching them when 

 feeding. I have frequently tried them, with twigs and leaves 

 when these were young and tender, as well as when quite ma- 

 tured, of every tree and shrub within my reach, including the 

 hazel, sevei-al kinds of oak, the hickory, the sugar-maple, the ash, 

 and the raulberrj^, but could never induce them to taste of any, 

 though the deer seized them greedily. In winter I have seen 

 them pick up the dried oak leaves from the ground possibly for 

 the tannin they contained, and as a substitute for some grass 

 found in their native range, but was not found in my grounds, 

 but I never saw them touch the green leaf of a tree. 



The dried and frosted leaves were not takeu for the nutriment 

 they contained, for they practically contained none ; and the blue 

 grass was abundant an^l accessible, so that they did not want for 

 food. I have observed them once or twice in winter time to 

 pick the fine short parasitic lichens from the young live trees, but 

 never the coarser mosses. 



They would eat apples sparingly, but I never knew them to 

 take acorns, wild plums, grapes, or cherries. They are fond of 

 all the kinds of grain which I have ever offered them. In win- 

 ter the}^ will pick the leaves and heads of timothy hay and of 

 clover, and fine clover rowen they take quite freel}', but prefer to 

 scrape away the snow for the grass when that is possible. Per- 

 ennial grasses suit them best. In my grounds they preferred the 

 blue grass ; but sometimes cropped tlie white clover. I never 

 saw them touch the weeds of which the deer are so very fond. 

 Bread and cake they took gratefully if it was fresh and good, 

 but if stale they rejected it. Altogether, they are dainty feeders 

 and very select in the choice of their food. In a wild state they 

 no doubt live principally on the various kinds of buffalo grass, 

 but probably find many other kinds of herbaceous food with 

 which we are not acquainted. 



They are fond of common salt, and should have it always by 

 them when in parks ; and if soda be mixed with it, no doubt it 

 would be better for them, for their native plains generally abound 

 with crude or sulphate of sodium, and long use may make this 

 better for them, than in the form of the chloride. At least it is 

 worth the trial by those who have pet antelopes. 



