160 MAMMALiA. 



upper Sierras, running in small herds, and preying upon deer. Another 

 wolf is found in this vast stretch of woodland, though on its lower 

 levels, where it breaks up into foothills. This is the lowland wolf, 

 the coyote, Canis lutrans, one ot the most characteristic aniamls of the 

 West. The coyote is a hanger-on of civilization, the familiar of town, 

 village or hamlet, making its home in the ledges of the foothills, per- 

 haps in burrows or natural caves from which it emerges at night, travel- 

 ing long distances down the valleys to visit the hunting grounds of its 

 choice. At tuch times is heard its strange laughing bark, whicn has so 

 marked a ventriloquistic Quality that one coyote can easily convince 

 a novice that a despf rate pack of lowland wolves is lurking about the 

 stock. The coyote follows the arroyo beds down into settlements and 

 ocassionally preys upon domestic stock, but its game is the ground 

 squirrel, 'the jack rabbit and cottontail, which it is very expert in tak- 

 ing. It occasionally varies its diet, being fond of grapes, guavas and 

 possibly other fruit. The coyote is withal one of the cleverest of its 

 tribe and may be said to be the jackal of America. 



Among the hoofed animals of the Forest Reserves, five typical forms 

 stand out: the black-tailed deer, the mule deer, the antelope, mountain 

 sheep and elk. The latter, owing to the lax legislation of past years, 

 have nearly disappeared, but the two former, it is believed, are holding 

 their own. The elk* is included as it is thought that a few are still to 

 be found on the slopes and foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. When Cal- 

 ifornia was discovered the horns of this magnificent animal were seen 

 from San Diego far to the north. The clumsy mule deer — Cariacus 

 macrotis — with long ears, is occasionally seen, its large size making it a 

 conspicuous object. It is a mountain and lofty plateau form. In the 

 Sierra Sadre and Coast ranges of the southern portion of the Reserves 

 it is rarely seen, its place being taken seemingly by a smaller variety 

 which has been described by Judge Caton. This deer is especially com- 

 mon in the ranges which reach down to the sea from Point Conception 

 south. 



In the leafy coverts of Southern California, the arcades formed by the 

 alder, willow and bay, where the canyon streams splash out into the 

 open and the manzanita, wild lilac and holly grow, one may meet the 

 black-tailed deer (C. Columbianus), while farther north it ranges in the 



*Mr. H. W. Keller, late Fish Commissioner, writes me: "The only 

 elk I know of in this State are a few in the northern part of Humboldt 

 county, and about one hundred and fifty in Kern county, west of Bak 

 ersfield." 



