AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
PRONG-HORNED ANTILOPE. 
ANTILOPE AMERICANA. 
ERlates Va Violas] 
Antilope, Lewis & CLARKE, 1. 75, 208, 369; 11. 169.— 
“intilope Americana, Orv, GurTuriz’s Geography, 
Philad. ed. 1815.—.4ntilope Furcifer, Smita. Trans. 
of Linnzn Society, x1. pl. 2.—Prong-horned /nte- 
lope, Sas. App. p. 667.—Teuthlalmacame, Hernan- 
pEz, Noy. His. p. 324, 325, Fig. 324, an. 1651.—Le 
Squenoton, Hist. de ?Amerique, p. 175, an. 1723.— 
Aintilocapra Americana, Orv, Jour. de Phys. 1818. 
Hartan, Fauna, p. 250.—Cervus Hamatus, Buain- 
viLLE, Nouv. Bull. Societ. Phil. 1816, p. 80.—4ntilope 
Palmata, Smiru, Opere Citato. Desmarest, Mam. p. 
476.—Cervus Bifurcatus, Ravinesque.—“peestat- 
Chekoos, Cres Inptans.—Philadelphia Museum. 
Tur 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 Zewthlalmacame. 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 fleetness; 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 wind 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 
49 
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 fleetness and wind that a single horse hasno 
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 aherdof 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 ata wary 
distance, so as not to alarm them till they were perfectly 
inclosed, and usually selecting some commanding eminence 
asastand. 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 
