236 ANIMAL COMPETITORS 



coyote usually captures them by hiding behind 

 clumps of weeds or bunches of grass at some distance 

 from the burrows, and when, in feeding, the unsus- 

 pecting rodent approaches near enough a few leaps 

 enable the coyote to capture it. It is probably the 

 fear of the coyote that causes the prairie-dogs to crop 

 off all the tall, growing grass and weeds near their 

 burrows. 



"In addition to rabbits and prairie-dogs the food 

 of the coyote includes rice-rats, kangaroo-rats, wood- 

 rats, ground-squirrels, woodchucks, pocket-gophers, 

 chipmunks, and pocket-mice. All of these are harm- 

 ful to agriculture, and the coyote in preying upon 

 them performs a valuable service to man. This 

 service is not spasmodic, but lasts throughout the 

 year and throughout the life of the coyote, and has 

 an important influence in helping maintain the 'bal- 

 ance of nature.' 



"The coyote is useful also as a scavenger. In the 

 prairie country, especially in winter, it comes into 

 towns at night searching for garbage. Here it finds 

 remnants of meat from the table, offal, and similar 

 prizes. When hungry it rejects no animal food, not 

 even carrion. The slaughter-houses near the towns 

 are favorite feeding places, and the animals are often 

 shot there. On the ranges they soon consume dead 

 horses and cattle, leaving the bones clean. 



"Injurious food-habits. Considerable game is de- 

 stroyed by coyotes, including quail, grouse, and 

 wild ducks, and their eggs. . . . hens, ducks, 

 geese, and turkeys. Its usual method of capturing 



