




















THE FAUNA OF MONTANA TERRITORY. 5387 
_ Awertcan ANTELOPE (Antilocapra Americana). Ve 
 tbundant along the upper Missouri, and to the Rocky Moun- 
tains. Some were also seen west of the summit in Deer Lodge 
Prairie, and probably frequent all the larger plains as far as 
Bitterroot Mountains. West of these, however, it seems 
be yery rare. In Washington Territory, though, I was 
informed by Capt. Fraser, U. S. A., that an old hunter, liv- 
at Spokan river (Antoine Plante?), once got lost in the 
Great Plain, towards the most westerly bend of the Colum- 
„a region uninhabited, and almost. unknown to the Indians ; 
that he there saw large herds of Antelopes. Also, that they 
‘Were formerly abundant on this plain, but that during a 
very deep snow, some years since, the Indians slaughtered 
bundreds of them (as before reported of the deer), since 
Which time they have been scarce. This is quite likely since 
‘low is sometimes quite deep on portions of these plains, 
~ since the introduction of fire-arms the Indians have killed 
More game. There seems to be some foundation for the be- 
lief that the horns of these Antelopes are deciduous, from the 
that some which I have seen had the terminal and outer 
s of horn peeling off like a sheath, but this may not be 
constant occurrence, 
CKY Mountain Goar (Aploceras montanus). The 
y Mountain Goat is almost unknown to the traders at 
enton, but Mr. Dawson told me’that skins were now 
then brought in there, coming from the Bitterroot Moun- 
‘Rear the sources of the Kookooskee, one of the loftiest 
“ons of the central chains, and from which rivers flow in 
directions, The summits there are above the line of per- 
ow, and just below this is a zone of grassy country 
d by these animals, while still lower the densest for- 
Vail, totally unsuited for them, and extending more 
100 feet above the sea, the height of the Coeur d’Alene 
This animal is quite unknown to hunters who have 
leir lives in the mountains south of latitude 42°, 
NS almost inaccessible resorts are so little visited, 
" NATURALIST, VoL. 11 
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