The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-05-13
The Antelope.

We find ia the Americm Naturalist toI
April an interesting paper by Hon. j. ID. Ca
ton on the Antelope The animal Possesses
so many marked peculiaritics as TO make III
study one of deep interest to the naturalist
and the account before US shows that the sub
ject is not wlthot attractions to the genera
reader We copy only part OF the article
emitting doubtless to the disgust of the sci
entlfic reader many minute and technical de
tails which would only be tedious to the gen
eral reader for whom alone we cater.
1t is not possible to give more than sy
nopsis of the natural history OF the American
antelope in the space which may be properly
allowed in this journal. 1t WAS first made
known to the scientific world through Lewis
and Clark, who found it in 1904 on the Upper
Missouri, and who at times made 1t an i'm
portant object of the chase. On their return
they brought with them a specimen, which
was placed in Peale's Museum, at Phlladel
pha, and first described by MIR. Ord, and
named AnteL0pc americana. Three years la
ter, ia Journal de Physique, he gave 1t gen
eric distinction under the name of Anttl0ca
pra americana.
ms animal Is uDt DutlNc VI thc 'iu
World, and is confined to very limited por
ton of the New that is to say, the western
part of the continent, mostly within the tenn
perate zone and since, as we shall hereafter
see it avoids forests and high mountains,
it may not be looked for Ia many portions of
this region Ii was never found east OF the
Mississippi River, nor did it even reach the
Missouri River except on its upper part,
where il crossed that river in the more arid
regions.
The habits of our antelope explain why it
is 30 confined in it's range. lB aliment j.;
strictly hcrbaceous. 1t not only rejects ar
boreous food, but it has such an aversion TO
forests that II rarely enters them voluntarily,
refusing to be driven into them at the great
est peril True, it will cross thin skirts of
timber in passing from one prairie to another,
aud the old bucks at certain seasons, when
they seem inclined to avoid the society OF
their kind, have been known to seclude them
selves IN the open, park.like glades of some
districts.
They are exceptionally gregarious in their
habits, although the immense bands of.hous-
ands in which they formerly assembled arc
now broken up by the advancement Of civil.
cation, which has absolutely expelled them
from those regions where they were met with
in great numbers aquarter of century since.
Then they were most abundant in California
where they sometimes almost literally GOV
cred the plains and the foothills west of the
&. Sierras, and where now solitary wanderer
Is rarely heard of, The parks and plains in
Il the mountains and east OF them, and the great
table lands separating the distant ranges, are
now most affected by our antelope, for there
it finds that dry, gravclly soil, covered by a
scanty but nutritious vegetation, which It's
| tn nr a VI, md n Qnp n
require; there too, only the shepherd and the
herder are induced to inrude upon its seclu
sion and disturb its quiet,
Although Richardson OBJ ccts to the appel.
la,ion Amer.cdn0 because there may be two
species of the genus, 1t Is now settled beyond
4 dispute that this animal stands alone, a soli-
tary species of a distinct genus among rum.
inants, as we shall presently See, differing so
widely in many important particulars that
geological laws which have hitherto been
considered well settled have to be abandoned
and new ones recognized. Capra Ame,scana.
which was once supposed by some 10 be a
species of the same genus, is now well estab.
! lshed to be a true goat, and no more related
to the animal under consideration than is
Opis montana, or Rocky Mountain sheep, and
IN coat and colorng the latter bears a much
stronger resem jlanCc 10 our animal than the
| former.
In size, the prong buck BARTLETT is consid.
craby smaller than the ordinary Virginia
deer, add less variation among individuals is
observed than occurs IN any of the deer fam
! lily. A fully adult male rarely exceeds four
feet in length from TIP TO tip, and three feet
! In height 10 the tip OF the shoulder, while the
adult female is considerably smaller. The
hunter never has difficulty in throwing the
largest upon his horse or EpOn his shoulder,
and walking 10 camp with him, though If
the distance be great he gets hesve, no doubt
The eye is exceptionally large for the size
of the animal. 1t IS much larger than that
of any of the deer the OK, or the horse. The
entire exposed part of the orb Is intensely
black, so that have never been able by the
closest scrutiny 10 distinguish the pupil from
the iris on the living subject. While il Is
brilliant, ii is mild soft, and gentle. Ii is the
eye of the antelope gazclc only larger and
| blackcr, as have often compared them when
standing side by side This animal has been
often called the American gazelle. A female
gazelle from ASIA in my grounds, showed
disposition to associate aud play with young
prong buck, but with no other animal IN the
grounds. | have seen our antelope weep
cupiOus tears when in deep atilictiOn.
! In domcslicaiion this animal loses its wild
rimidI,y sooner and more completely than
any other animal JsrG nature whose domes.
tication have attempted. When taken young
It soon acquires the attachment of a child for
!, the human species, and when captured adult
IN a short time becomes SO tame that ii will
!, take food from the hand and follow one by
the hour, walking through the grounds. 1t
soon perceiycs that il has nothing 10 fear,
and then readily bcstows its confidence. 1t
Is not generally healthy in domesticaton,
, probably from the humidity of our climate
and The want of some aimentary element
which Il finds IN its native plains Many are
afflicted with scrofula, and some lInger and
due without any we,ldeined disease. have
. never yet been able to keep one IN my grounds
4 for single year, but am still continuing my
, experiments.
have never YET heard Of an instance where
they have bred in Generalization. although
the males especially are excessively saiacious
in their inclIHaiiuns; but have vet 10 learn
b of case of actual fertility.
a. Igrrf.a -