THE QUADRUPEDS OF ARIZONA. 291 
fruit of various species of Prickly Pear (Opuntia) ; and 
in the winter upon berries of various sorts, particularly — 
those of the Juniper (Juniperus pachyderma, and others). 
Coyotés are so annoying, that a variety of means are 
employed to destroy them. They may be shot, of course, 
but to hunt them in the daytime is uncertain, and hardly 
worth the trouble, while night-shooting is still more 
laborious and unsatisfactory. Their cunning, inquiring 
disposition is ordinarily more than a match for man’s 
ingenuity in the way of traps. The most certain, as well 
as the easiest method of obtaining them, is by poisoning 
the carcass of a dead animal, or butcher’s offal, with 
strychnine. There is no doubt, also, that the odor of 
assafcetida is attractive to them, and a little of this drug 
rubbed into the poisoned meat greatly heightens the 
chances of their eating it. Since, after taking the poison, 
they suffer greatly from thirst, it is well to place a tub of 
water conveniently at hand, which generally keeps them 
m making off for water, and so being lost. There is 
considerable difference in the fur, both as to quality and 
color, according to the season. In the winter it is fuller, 
icker, and softer than in summer, and has much less — 
tawny or rufous about it, being almost entirely black and 
grizzled grayish-white. 
Except under certain circumstances, there is a chronic 
feud between our domestic dogs and these dog-wolves. 
A good-sized dog will easily whip a Coyoté, though he 
may not come off unscathed from the sharp teeth and 
quick snaps of the latter. I have known a smallish 
terrier even to kill a Coyoté, of which he caught a throat- - 
hold, enabling him by vigorous shakes to beat in the 
wolf’s skull against some boulders between which the 
conflict took place. Notwithstanding, there is abundant 
