PRONGHORN OF THE PLAINS 185 
day. Once when a boy I saw at least a thousand 
in a North Park, Colorado, flock. 
A few are now protected in the national 
parks and in private antelope reserves. But 
they are verging well toward extermination. 
Rarely does the antelope thrive in captivity. 
Apparently the food ordinarily fed it in captiv- 
ity does not agree with it. 
Mature antelope are marked with what may 
be called revealing colours, which advertise 
their presence and make them easily visible 
at long distances: rich tan to grayish brown 
on the back and sides, with clean white but- 
tocks and sides of face and belly; the throat 
faintly striped with white and brown; and a 
touch of near-black on the head. The ante- 
lope’s colour is so distinctive and stands out so 
well against most backgrounds that it may be 
classed as an animal with revealing coloration. 
Two white rump patches flare up during ex- 
citement; the crowded and bristling hairs may 
be seen at surprisingly long distances. 
Possibly these hairs are also under conscious 
control. At any rate, let one or a number 
on a ridge see an approaching enemy and these 
white patches stand out, and the next adjacent 
flock, even though two or three miles away, 
will see the sign—or signal—and also take alarm. 
Though the antelope does not do any wireless 
