From a photograph by A. G. IVallihan. 
Antelope on their winter range. 
The answer is simple; these regions are 
provided with vegetation that has the power 
of storing up water for its own use — that 
can, during the few showers of winter, lay 
up enough moisture to carry it over the whole 
year ; and chief among these provident plants 
are the great bulging cactuses. Each is a 
living tank charged with fluid so precious 
that it must, perforce, wear a body-guard of 
poisonous bayonets to keep back the horde 
of wayfarers so ready to slake their thirst at 
the cactus's expense. In these the Antelope 
finds its desert springs. Mr. T. S. Van 
Dyke, who first called my attention to the 
fact, says: 
On the arid Plains of Lerdo, in Mexico, 
where I hunted in 1884, the Deer and An- 
telope do not drink. The proof is conclu- 
sive to my mind. I know that the only 
water for forty miles was the little pool less 
than 200 feet across, that was only a quarter 
of a mile from my camp. Whitetail, Mule 
Deer and Antelope abounded in all that 
region, and yet the mud on the banks never 
show^ed a sign of one coming there to drink. 
It seems that the fleshy leaves of the abun- 
dant cactus supply them both with food and 
drink." 
Mr. Edward H. Wuerpel, the well-known 
artist of St. Louis, writes me similarly 
(March 30, 1901) : 
"When I lived in Mexico six years ago 
Antelope were still abundant on the upland 
44 
plains as far south as Coahuila. There is 
no water in the region they inhabit, but they 
find the cactus leaves supply enough moist- 
ure." 
But what about the spines that are sup- 
posed to be the sufficient defence of these 
living tanks ? Mr. Wuerpel writes further: 
''While crossing the region with oxen, we 
used to burn the spines off the cactus and 
feed it to the cattle, and they suffered no in- 
convenience for lack of water, although 
without it for perhaps two days." 
But who burns off the spikes for the An- 
telope? This is a point on which I can 
shed no light, but it is a well-known fact 
that the oxen and wild cattle of Mexico are 
utterly repelled by the cactus spines, which 
the Antelope and the Deer have learned in 
some way to overcome. What that way is, 
we have yet to learn. 
If captured when fully adult. Antelope 
are usually considered irreclaimable. But 
taken when a few days old, they are the 
most tamable of our horned creatures, and 
indeed almost too ready to follow anyone 
who finds them and stays long enough to 
establish a slight bond of acquaintance." 
They are very delicate at this age, and 
difficult to bring up. Mr. J. H. G. Bray, 
of Medicine Hat, tells me, however, that he 
has reared many Antelope kids by feeding 
them on cow's milk one-third water and a 
