Nixon, D on 19 Oct 2003 suggested:

>
> "Charles Gifford" > wrote in message
> ink.net...
>>
>> "Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> >
>> > The other comment is that, as far as I know, chili contains beef
>> > and although deer and antelope were here long before the conquest,
>>
>> Just a gentle correction for anyone who cares. There have never been
>> antelope in the Americas. You are probably refering to the pronghorn
>> - "Antelocapra americana". It is not related to antelopes nor to any
>> living animal. As the scientific name suggests, they are sometimes
>> placed in a group of animals called "goat antelopes" although they
>> are neither. Other animals in this group: chamois, saiga, takin and
>> muskox. Other than the muskox and takin none are actually related.
>>
>> Charlie
> ================================================== =======
>
> Oh yeah?? Well if that be true, tell me this--------------------
> why would "where the deer and the ANTELOPE play" be in the words of
> the most popular song of the 20th Century !!!! ???? I'm talkin'
> Home on the Range !

Because songwriters (a) are ignorant, (b) take artistic license,
(c) couldn't get "goat antelopes" to fit into the rhythm and meter of
the song, or (d) didn't like the way "muskox" rolled off the tongue.
*grin*

--Douglas