538 THE QUADRUPEDS OF ARIZONA. 
ment as to overcome its natural timidity. This remark- 
able curiosity is taken advantage of by hunters, to lure 
the animal within range, by displaying some brightly- 
colored piece of cloth, while they lie concealed close by, 
rifle in hand. The shallower the artifice, the more it 
seems likely to succeed; a handkerchief fluttering from 
the end of a ramrod, or even the hunter himself standing 
on his head and gesticulating with his heels, have com- 
passed the death of many an antelope. But the Indians 
seem rather to surpass the white man in ingenuity, or 
rather in a sort of instinctive sagacity, perhaps born of 
necessity ; and take advantage, not only of the common 
weaknesses of the species, but of that emotion or rather 
passion which at times absorbs all others, as it should, 
since on it depends the maintenance of the species, while 
the rest affect the life of an individual alone. They 
skin the head and neck of a buck antelope, and stretch 
the skin, after proper stuffing and drying, upon a light 
framework, the bottom of which is a hoop which fits their 
own heads. The horns are scraped or shaven, until they 
are thin and light, though still preserving their shape. 
This primitive taxidermy produces an imitation of an 
antelope’s head, which at a little distance is very perfect, 
and the artifice is very successful during the rutting sea- 
son. Concealing their bodies, the hunters expose the 
false mask, and imitate the motions and noises of the now 
pugnacious and easily excited buck. The latter, flushed 
with sexual vigor, hears the challenge, and sees the men- 
acing attitudes of his supposed rival, upon whom he 
ates to offer battle in the cause of the object of his 
passion, who may be feeding quietly near by, affecting 
‘Rot to notice the fiery zeal of her lord. The bowstring 
: oe and tise —— shaft does its bloody work for 
