THE BLACK-TAILED HARE 



{Lepus californicus deserticola) 



Among the smaller animal folk of the arid 

 Southwest, the black- tailed hare or desert jack 

 rabbit, is the paragon of racers. His only rival 

 is the desert sand-lapper, that swift-footed 

 lizard that seems to run over ground as birds 

 fly through air. The coyote often attempts to 

 outrun the hare and sometimes overtakes him, 

 but more often this green-eyed rogue catches 

 his "jack" through strategy rather than by 

 mere swiftness of foot. The coyote is wise and 

 sagacious enough to know that if two of his kind 

 will cooperate in the hunt they can take ad- 

 vantage of the rabbit's tacking habits and get 

 him without long chases. The first one chases 

 up the hare, and the second places himself in 

 such a position that when the rabbit changes 

 his course he runs square into the jaws of the 

 waiting coyote. 



Yesterday, while out with the donkeys to 

 visit an old Indian cave, I was suddenly startled 



