204 
PRONG-HORNED ANTELOPE. 
the plains, the same de.sire possesses them to get to the hills, and back 
go ^ hundred or two in a flock, seldom slackening their speed, ex- 
cept for a few seconds to look again, and be more frightened than ever 
at what had first startled them. The rolling hills of the western line of 
the Sierra Nevada were their most favourite locality in this valley, as 
far as we saw, but Layton and myself met an accidental individual or 
two, nearly up to Sacramento city, as we travelled through the beautiful, 
park-like scenes of this portion of California to the diggings of the head 
waters of the “ American Fork.”- 
As to the shedding of the horns of this species, I never was able to as- 
certain it, but a fine buck we killed, late in November, had a soft space 
between the head and horn, over the bone, that looked as if it had grown 
that length in one season. A young Antelope is better eating than a deer, 
but an old one, is decidedly goaty. 
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 
The Prong-horned Antelope is an inhabitant of the western portions of 
North America, being at no time found to the east of the Mississippi 
river. Its most northerly range is, according to Richardson, latitude 53° 
on the banks of the north branch of the Saskatchewan. They range 
southerly on the plains east of the Rocky Mountains into New Mexico. 
The precise latitude we have not been able to ascertain, but we have seen 
specimens that were said to have been obtained along the eastern ridge of 
the mountains within the tropics in Mexico. The account given by Hernan- 
dez, as well as his bad figure of his TeutMamacame, can apply to no other- 
species ; this was obtained in Mexico. Lewis and Clarke found it on the 
plains west of the Columbia River, and it is now known to be an inhabi- 
tant of California. It has, therefore, a very extensive geographical range. 
general remarks. 
We have after much reflection and careful examination, concluded to 
adopt Mr. Ord’s genus Antilocapra for this species. It differs in so many 
particulars from the true Antelopes, that naturalists will be compelled 
either to enlarge the character of that genus, or place it under one already 
formed. Its horns are branched, of which no instance occurs among all 
the species of Antelope ; it is destitute of crumens or lachrymal openings, 
and is entirely deficient in the posterior or accessory hoofs, there being 
only two on each foot. 
Major Hamilton Smith, (Cuv. Animal Kingdom, Vol. v., p. 321,) formed 
a genus under the name of Dicrnnocerus, under which he placed a second 
species which he named A Although the generic name given by 
