In the Sierra 



quantity of poison in the carcasses. All sheep- 

 men carry strychnine to kill coyotes, bears, 

 and panthers, though neither coyotes nor pan- 

 thers are at all numerous in the upper moun- 

 tains. The little dog-like wolves are far more 

 numerous in the foothill region and on the 

 plains, where they tind a better supply of 

 food,- -saw only one panther-track above 

 eight thousand feet. 



On my return after sunset to the Portu- 

 guese camp I found the shepherds greatly 

 excited over the behavior of the bears that 

 have learned to like mutton. "They are 

 getting worse and worse," they lamented. 

 Not willing to wait decently until after dark 

 for their suppers, they come and kill and 

 eat their rill in broad daylight. The evening 

 before my arrival, when the two shepherds 

 were leisurely driving the flock toward 

 camp half an hour before sunset, a hun- 

 gry bear came out of the chaparral within 

 a few yards of them and shuffled deliber- 

 ately toward the flock. " Portuguese Joe," 



[ 281 ] 



