AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



49 



PRONG-HORNED ANTILOPE. 



ANTILOPE AMERICANA. 



[Plate V. Vol. 3.] 



Antilope, Lewis & Clarke, i. 75, 208, 369; n. 169. — 

 Antilope Americana, Oiid, Guthrie's Geography, 

 Philad. ed. 1815. — Antilope Furcifer, Smith. Trans. 

 of Linnsen Society, xm. pi. 2. — Prong-horned Ante- 

 lope, Sab. App. p. 667. — Teuthlalmacame, Hernan- 

 dez, Nov. His. p. 324, 325, Fig. 324, an. 1651. — Le 

 Squenoton, Hist, de l'Amerique, p. 175, an. 1723. — 

 Antilocapra Americana, Ord, Jour, de Phys. ISIS. 

 Harlan, Fauna, p. 250. — Cervus Hamulus, Blain- 

 ville, Nouv. Bull. Societ. Phil. 1816, p. 80. — Antilope 

 Palmata, Smith, Opere Citato. Desmarest, Mam. p. 

 476. — Cervus Bifurcatus, R.AFmzs,ciuE.—Apeestat- 

 Chcekoos, Cree Indians. — Philadelphia Museum. 



The Prong-horned Antilope, was first discovered and 

 described by Lewis and Clarke, while on their journey 

 across the Rocky Mountains. Previous to this, it was un- 

 known to naturalists, excepting only a slight notice given 

 by Hernandez, of a similar animal, said to inhabit Califor- 

 nia, under the appellation of Teuthlalmagame. The only 

 preserved specimen of the animal, existing at present in 

 this country, was brought by the above-mentioned gentle- 

 men from the Missouri, and deposited in the Philadelphia 

 Museum. To these, therefore, we are indebted for all the 

 information we possess respecting this beautiful quadruped, 

 which has since been confirmed by Dr. Richardson in his 

 observations on the Northern Zoology, appended to Frank- 

 lin's Journey to the Polar Sea. 



In noticing the Prong-horned Antilope, Lewis & Clarke 

 give the following facts: — ■ 



" Of all the animals we had seen, the Antilope seems to 

 possess the most wonderful fieetness; shy and timorous, 

 they generally repose only on the ridges, which command 

 a view of all the approaches of an enemy. The acuteness 

 of their sight distinguishes the most distant danger, the 

 delicate sensibility of their smell defeats the precautions of 

 Concealment, and when alarmed their rapid career seems 

 more like the flight of birds than the movements of an 

 earthly being. After many unsuccessful attempts, Captain 

 Lewis at last, by winding around the ridges, approached 

 a party of seven, which were on an eminence, towards 

 which the vvind was unfortunately blowing. The only 

 male of the party frequently encircled the summit of the 

 hill, as if to announce any danger to the females, who 

 formed a group at the top. Although they did not see 



N 



Captain Lewis, the smell alarmed them, and they fled 

 when he was at the distance of two hundred yards: he 

 immediatuly ran to the spot where they had been, a ravine 

 concealed them from him, but the next moment they 

 appeared on a second ridge at the distance of three miles. 

 He doubted whether it could be the same; but their num- 

 ber, and the extreme rapidity with which they continued 

 their course, convinced him that they must have gone 

 with a speed equal to that of the most distinguished race- 

 horse. 



"The chief game of the Shoshonees, is the Antilope, 

 which when pursued retreats to the open plains, where 

 the horses have full room for the chase. But such is its 

 extraordinary fieetness and wind that a single horse has no 

 possible chance of outrunning it, or tiring it down; and 

 the hunters are therefore obliged to resort to stratagem. 

 About twenty Indians, mounted on fine horses, and armed 

 with bows and arrows, left the camp; in a short time they 

 descried aherd of ten Antilopes; they immediately separated 

 into little squads of two or three, and formed a scattered cir- 

 cle round the herd for five or six miles, keeping at a wary 

 distance, so as not to alarm them till they were perfectl}' 

 inclosed, and usually selecting some commanding eminence 

 as a stand. Having gained their positions, a small party 

 rode towards the herd, and with wonderful dexterity the 

 huntsman preserved his seat, and the horse his footing, as 

 he ran at full speed over the hills, and down the steep ra- 

 vines, and along the borders of the precipices. They were 

 soon outstripped by the Antilopes, which on gaining the 

 other extremity of the circle, were driven back and pur- 

 sued by the fresh hunters. They turned and flew, rather 

 than ran in another direction; but they found new enemies. 

 In this way they were alternately pursued backwards and 

 forwards, till at length, notwithstanding the skill of the 

 hunters, they all escaped, and the party, after running for 

 two hours, returned without having caught any thing, and 

 their horses foaming with sweat. This chase, the greater 

 part of which was seen from the camp, formed a beautiful 

 scene; but to the hunters is exceedingly laborious, and so 

 unproductive, even when they are able to worry the ani- 

 mal down and shoot him, that forty or fifty hunters will 

 sometimes be engaged for half a day without obtaining 

 more than two or three Antilopes. 



"The Antilope inhabits the great plains of the Colum- 

 bia, and resembles those found on the banks of the Mis- 

 souri, and indeed in every part of the untimbered country, 

 but they are by no means so abundant on this as on the 

 other side of the Rocky Mountains. The natives make 

 themselves robes of their skins, and preserve the hair en- 

 tire. In the summer and autumn, when the salmon begin 

 to decline, the majority of the natives leave the sides of the 



