PRONG-HORNED ANTELOPE. 
19Y 
remains by her young for some days after they are born, feeding immedi- 
ately around the spot, and afterwards gradually enlarging her range ; when 
the young are a fortnight old they have gained strength and speed enough 
to escape with their fleet-footed mother from wolves or other four-footed 
foes. Sometimes, however, the wolves discover and attack the young 
when they are too feeble to escape, and the mother then displays the 
most devoted courage in their defence. She rushes on them, butting and 
striking with her short horns, and sometimes tosses a wolf heels over head, 
she also uses her forefeet, with which she deals severe blows, and if the 
wolves are not in strong force, or desperate with hunger, puts them to 
flight, and then seeks with her young a safer pasturage, or some al- 
most inaccessible rocky hill side. 
The rutting season of this species commences in September, the bucks 
run for about six weeks, and during this period fight with great courage 
and even a degree of ferocity. When a male sees another approach- 
ing, or accidentally comes upon one of his rivals, both parties run at each 
other with their heads lowered and their eyes flashing angrily, and while 
they strike with their horns they wheel and bound with prodigous activity 
and rapidity, giving and receiving severe wounds, ^ — sometimes like fencers, 
getting within each others “ points,” and each hooking his antagonist with 
the recurved branches of his horns, which bend considerably inwards and 
downwards. 
The Prong-horned Antelope usually inhabits the low prairies adjoining 
the covered woody bottoms during spring and autumn, but is also found on 
the high or upland prairies, or amid broken hills, and is to be seen along 
the margins of the rivers and streams : it swims very fast and well, and oc- 
casionally a herd when startled may be seen crossing a river in straggling 
files, but without disorder, and apparently with ease. 
Sometimes a few of these animals, or even only one or two by them- 
selves may be seen, whilst in other instances several hundreds are con- 
gregated in a herd. They are remarkably shy, are possessed of a fine 
sense of smell, and have large and beautiful eyes, which enable them to 
scan the surface of the undulating prairie and detect the lurking Indian or 
wolf, creep he ever so cautiouly through the grasses, unless some inter- 
vening elevation or copsewood conceal his approach. It is, therefore, 
necessary for the hunter to keep well to leeward, and to use extraordinary 
caution in “sneaking” after this species; and he must also exercise a 
great deal of patience and move very slowly and only at intervals, when 
the animals with heads to the ground or averted from him, are leeding or 
attracted by some other object. When they discover a man thus stealthily 
moving near them, at first sight they fly from him with great speed, and 
