150 DENIZENS OF THE DESERT 



the Washingtonia palms, and other dried fruits. 

 Lean bones tell the tale of hunger and under- 

 nourishment, but no one cares. That is what 

 one gets for being a coyote. If driven to it, this 

 ever-hungry animal vagabond will even eat 

 carrion and not be ashamed. I have often 

 wondered if he rolls on the carcass, as dogs do, 

 before eating it. 



The coyote possesses a special fondness for 

 watermelons, and always seems to delight in 

 plugging the ripest and best ones in the patch. 

 He is never satisfied with a single melon's flavor, 

 but insists on taking a sample bite or two out 

 of every good melon on the place. Here again 

 he lets his foolish eating habits run at cross- 

 purposes with the desires of man and invokes 

 retribution upon himself in the form of poisoned 

 fruits, traps, and rifle balls. In the Colorado 

 Desert the date-growers tell me that the coy- 

 otes are so fond of dates that they climb up into 

 the young trees to rob the fruit. 



Now it must ever be remembered that the 

 coyote in spite of his sins plays a valuable part 

 in preserving the balance in nature. Were it 

 not for his keeping the rabbits and ground 



