108 WILD NEIGHBORS CHAP. 
back near to the point of starting, where the sec- 
ond wolf is ready to keep puss going while the 
first rests. Then the wolf in chase bowls the hare 
over, and seeks to appropriate the whole of his 
not over-big carcass before the resting partner can 
come up and claim his share, whereupon a row is 
very likely to ensue. 
To capture the sage-hen, grouse, or quail, the 
coyote roughly quarters the ground, somewhat like 
a trained dog, but with frequent crouching pauses, 
all the time wending his way toward the quarry. 
At the right moment he will drop flat in the grass 
and creep stealthily forward, as a cat would do, 
until near enough to make a fatal spring. The 
birds do not seem to lie to him as they will to a 
setter or pointer, but get up and fly the instant 
they discover his presence. 
In fact, nothing edible escapes this omnivorous 
prowler. It is the arch-enemy of such small deer 
as prairie-dogs and gophers; and one reason why 
the rabbits have become such a pest in central 
California is that this wolf has been mercilessly 
killed off there. 
If no better food offers, it will revel in carrion 
of any sort. ‘It resorts in great numbers to the 
vicinity of settlements where offal is sure to be 
found, and surrounds the hunter’s camp at night. 
It is well known to follow for days in the trail of 
a traveller’s party, and each morning, just after 
camp is broken, it rushes in to claim whatever 
