PREDATORY ANIMALS IN THE WEST 



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 



BRBHK 





A Coyote in a 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 was repealed by a unanimous vote.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. 



