86 
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 
snag extending out in front of the middle. Below the prong, the 
sheath is much compressed laterally to the base; but above the prong, 
it becomes truly cylindrical. 
In early November the horn sheath becomes loosened at the base, 
although still held in position by long hairs imbedded in its substance 
and still rooted in the epidermis, and is slowly pushed off by the new 
horn sheath and the stiff, bristle4ike hairs forming beneath. The 
pushing-off process is very gradual and almost invariably one sheath 
falls before the other; only once have I ever found a pair of sheaths 
together and that was in a “bed^^ where the antelope had lain for 
some time. Apparently the buck never rubs, nor strikes, his horns 
to free them, as an elk or a deer usually does. In fact, in several 
instances I have seen the horns thrown off by a sudden jar: such as, 
a sudden frightened jump, or the breaking of a snow crust under the 
animal. The imbedded hairs are mostly broken short off, but a few 
may be pulled free from the sheath. The shed sheath is fringed at 
the bottom with the ends of hairs still fast in the horn material and 
usually the interior of the sheath is also lined with hair. The shed 
sheaths immediately become articles of food for coyotes, badgers, 
porcupines; and even the antelopes, themselves, have been seen 
nibbling them. Later, after the snow is gone, mice, gophers, and 
ground squirrels assist in the destruction. The sheaths that escape 
until May begin to turn red on the side nearest the ground, and to 
crack and splinter, especially on the side towards the sun. This dis- 
integration proceeds very rapidly where conditions of moisture and 
dryness alternate, less rapidly where moisture is constant, and still 
more slowly where the ground remains dry. Provided that no animal 
has eaten them, the sheaths are completely destroyed in from one to 
three years, depending on conditions already spoken of, on amount 
of rainfall, and on amount of exposure to dry, hot winds. Naturally 
the hard, compact tip is the last part to disappear. Even when freshly 
fallen, the sheaths are inconspicuous and not often found unless specially 
looked for. This differs in many respects from the process where the 
bony antlers of deer and elk are shed. Under the same conditions, the 
latter antlers are almost indestructible. Furthermore, as they 
“weather” they bleach and become white and are very easily seen 
even at a long distance. 
When the sheath is off, one finds on the tip of the horn core a soft, 
fleshy, nipple-like process, loose and hairless and fast hardening and 
changing to true horn. About the base of the horn core and up to 
