PREDATORY ANIMALS IN Till-: \VKST 



329 



mother while she grazes or goes to water. But the 

 sheepman's lambs and the farmer's poultry are the 

 coyote's chief sources of food. The animal is a good 

 feeder and, when other provender is not to be had, will 

 hunt jack rabbits or prairie dogs. Some years ago Cali- 

 fornia paid a bounty of $5 per head on coyotes with 

 the result that over 75,000 scalps were turned in to the 



A Coyot 



Trap. 



state authorities within the first year. Then the law 

 was repealed by a unanimous vote. In a year or two 

 California farmers began to complain of the increasing 

 numbers and depredations of the jack rabbits. Careful 

 investigations by well-posted men proved beyond doubt 

 that the increase of jack rabbits was largely due to the 

 decrease of their greatest enemy, the coyote. Thus na- 

 ture seems to maintain a balance between the species. 



