196 The American Antelope, or Prong Buck. — [April, 
the hollow-horned ruminants, and possess the extreme charac- 
teristics generally observed in those of the deer. They are hol- 
low except near the roots and extreme points, and are filled with 
a sort of light pith something like that found in the quill of the 
turkey or the chicken. These hairs are quite -non-elastic and 
fragile, in this respect resembling more those of the caribou than 
of any other quadruped. The points of the hairs are solid, and 
hence firm and tenacious, while the lower parts are moistened 
by an oily secretion from the skin which makes them the more 
flexible and less liable to be broken. Hence they are found to 
be most fragile one quarter or one third of the way down from 
their points. There is present an under coat of fur during the 
winter, but this is less abundant than on most of the deer. 
On the belly the hairs are more solid and tenacious, and on 
the legs and face they are quite so. On the top of the neck is 
a distinct mane, more pronounced on the male, consisting of long, 
erect, and firm red hairs; which are less abundant towards the 
bod 
The illustration of the young kid will show that it is of the 
same color as the adult, only the shades become deeper on the 
older animals. The face is generally black to yellowish-brown, 
with white cheeks. Below each ear is a dark brown or dull 
black patch. The neck and upper part of the body are of a yellow- 
ish-tawny color, often deepening to a brownish shade. On the 
lower part of the sides the belly and the inguinal regions are white, 
which color extends up between the hind legs, uniting with the 
white patch on the rump. This white area extends up under 
the neck, where it is broken into transverse bands by the yellow- 
ish-tawny of the neck. On many specimens a tawny line ex- 
tends down the back to and along the upper side of the tail, 
dividing the whole patch on the rump, while in others this is 
entirely wanting. The white color on all the parts where it is 
present is entirely immaculate. 
The entire absence of the hind or accessory hoofs found in 
most other ruminants early attracted attention, and distinguishes 
the prong buck from both the deer and the antelope, between 
which it seems to stand. Externally, then, the foot is short and 
broad, without distinct curvatures, and resembles the foot of the 
true antelope much more than that of the deer. 
A very important feature of this animal is the glandular system 
which it is found to possess. Until quite recently these gl 
have not been made a subject of special study. They are per- 
f 
