THE CLOWN OF THE PRAIRIES 93 
eats roots, tender shoots, or has a feast of fruit 
or melons. 
The coyote is wise enough to keep near the 
trail and camp of hunters and trappers. Here 
he gets many a rich meal of camp scraps and 
cast-off parts of killed animals. I have known 
him to travel with a mountain lion and to follow 
the trail of a bear. In certain localities the chip- 
munks retire in autumn to their holes, fat and 
drowsy, and temporarily fall into a heavy sleep. 
Before the earth is frozen they are energetically 
dug out by the coyotes. But this is only one 
of the many bits of natural history known and 
made use of by the coyote. 
But the coyote’s food habits are not all bad. 
At some time in every locality, and in a few lo- 
calities at all times, he has a high rank in eco- 
nomic biology, and may be said to codperate 
silently with the settlers in eradicating damaging 
pests. He is especially useful in fruit-growing 
sections. He is at the head of the list of mouse- 
catching animals. He is a successful ratter, 
and is the terror of prairie dogs, ground squirrels, 
and rabbits. 
If scavengers are helpful, then he is a useful 
member of society. He has a liking for car- 
casses, no matter how smelly or ancient. I 
once saw a coyote feeding on a dead mule 
along with ravens and buzzards. He did appear 
