158 DENIZENS OF THE DESERT 



Dogs and coyotes readily interbreed, with 

 the result that you will find in country places, 

 especially among the Indians, who seemingly 

 care little about the breeds of their dogs, mon- 

 grels of every gradation. The domestic dog is 

 naturally jealous, pugnacious, and brave, but 

 when he has the least bit of coyote blood in him 

 he is almost always worthless to the needs of 

 man. He is then shy and distrustful, and on the 

 least occasion sneaks off and runs. His form is 

 lean and his coat lacks the luster, smoothness, 

 and fineness of the domestic stock. 



The ordinary coyote's color is a brownish 

 gray, but those of the desert regions are nearly 

 always of a lighter color in harmony with their 

 surroundings. Once in a while an albino coyote 

 is found, an animal whose hair is pure white. 

 Lumholtz, in his delightful travel book, en- 

 titled "New Trails in Mexico," tells of several 

 observed along the shores of the Laguna Prieta 

 and at Carborca. I have never heard of a pure 

 black coyote, melanism evidently not being as 

 much exhibited among them as among foxes 

 and some other animals. 



Normal coyotes need seldom be feared by 



