380 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



The coyote loves nothing better than a young pig. When 

 he sees an old sow with her young ones, he will hide, and wait 

 a long time, in hopes that a little one will come within his 

 reach ; but if there be no hiding-place, he goes up boldly. The 

 sow will at once face the assailant, and start to attack him. 

 He allows her to come up within a few feet of him, and then 

 moves off slowly ; and she, like a fool, thinking she will catch 

 him, continues the chase. While running, he keeps his head 

 turned to one side, partly to watch her, and partly to watch 

 the pigs ; and when he has seduced her far enough away, he 

 suddenly makes a dash at the pigs, and, getting one of them, 

 runs off with it, leaving the agonized and furious sow far be- 

 hind. If the coyote does not succeed in getting a pig at the 

 first attempt that is, if he does not lead the sow far enough 

 away he tries it again and again, till he succeeds, the sow 

 being so stupid as to follow him, after having repeated oppor- 

 tunities to see his purpose. 



The coyotes frequently go in packs, and sometimes will 

 attack a cow. On such occasions, they have a concerted plan 

 of operations : they surround their intended victim, and while 

 those in front rush at her as a feint, those behind attempt to 

 cut her hamstrings ; and when they are once cut, she falls 

 completely at their mercy ; and they quickly pick her bones. 



The coyote is a great thief, and will steal the pillow from 

 under a sleeping man's head ; for it happens in California that 

 bags of provisions are often used as pillows. When hungry, 

 he will gnaw anything that is greasy, and frequently cuts off 

 the hemp and rawhide ropes with which horses are tied out at 

 night ; but he never bites into hair ropes, which for that rea- 

 son were formerly used exclusively for staking out horses. 



The coyote is nocturnal in his habits, and is very fond of 

 howling or yelping. He begins with a shrill, quick bark, and 

 follows it with a succession of yelps, ending in a long-drawn, 

 quavering, melancholy howl. When one begins, all others 

 within hearing take up the cry. Twenty years ago, the trav- 



