THE CLOWN OF THE PRAIRIES" 93 



eats roots, tender shoots, or has a feast of fruit 

 or melons. 



The coyote is wise enough to keep near the 

 trail and camp of hunters and trappers. Here 

 he gets many a rich meal of camp scraps and 

 cast-off parts of killed animals. I have known 

 him to travel with a mountain lion and to follow 

 the trail of a bear. In certain localities the chip- 

 munks retire in autumn to their holes, fat and 

 drowsy, and temporarily fall into a heavy sleep. 

 Before the earth is frozen they are energetically 

 dug out by the coyotes. But this is only one 

 of the many bits of natural history known and 

 made use of by the coyote. 



But the coyote's food habits are not all bad. 

 At some time in every locality, and in a few lo- 

 calities at all times, he has a high rank in eco- 

 nomic biology, and may be said to cooperate 

 silently with the settlers in eradicating damaging 

 pests. He is especially useful in fruit-growing 

 sections. He is at the head of the list of mouse- 

 catching animals. He is a successful ratter, 

 and is the terror of prairie dogs, ground squirrels, 

 and rabbits. 



If scavengers are helpful, then he is a useful 

 member of society. He has a liking for car- 

 casses, no matter how smelly or ancient. I 

 once saw a coyote feeding on a dead mule 

 along with ravens and buzzards. He did appear 



