HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



57 



found in South- America, or in other countries of North 

 America, exempt from the dominion of Spain, are the 

 Cojotl^ the Tlalcojotl^ Xoloitzcuintli^ Tepeitzcuintli^ Itzcu- 

 intepotzotli^ Ocotochili^ CojopoUin^ Tuza^ Ahuitzotl^ Huitzt- 

 lacuatzin^ and perhaps others which we have not known. 



The Cojotl^ or Coyoto,»as the Spaniards call it, is a wild 

 beafl voracious like the wolf, cunning like the fox, in 

 form like a dog, and in fome qualities like the Adive and 

 the Chacal : from whence fevcral hiftorians have at one 

 time judged it of one fpecies, at another time of another 

 fpecies ; but it is unqueftionably different from all thofe, 

 as we fliall demonflrate in our Differtations. It is lefs 

 than the wolf, and about the fize of a maflifF, but flen- 

 derer. It has yellow fparkling eyes, fmall ears pointed 

 and ereft, a blackifh fnout, ftrong limbs, and its feet 

 armed with large crooked nails. Its tail thick and hairy, 

 and its fkin a mixture of black, brown, and white. Its 

 voice hath both the howl of the wolf and the bark of 

 the dog. The Coyoto is one of the moft common qua- 

 drupeds of Mexico and the moft deftrudive to the 

 flocks. It invades a ftieepfold, and when it cannot find 

 a lamb to carry oif, it feizes a Iheep by the neck with its 

 teeth, and coupling with it, and beating it on the rump 

 with its tail, conducts it where it pleafes. It purfues the 

 ♦leer, and fometimes attacks even men. In flight it does . 

 nothing in general but trot ; but its trot is fo lively and 

 fwift, that a horfe at the gallop can hardly overtake it. 

 The Cuetlachcojoil appears to us to be a quadruped oF 

 the fame fpecies with the Coyoto, as it differs in nothing 

 Vol. I. H from 



(o) Neither BufFon nor Boniare make mention of the Coyoto, although the 

 fpecies is one of the moft common and moft numerous of Mexico, and amply 

 defcribed by Hernandez, whofe Natural Hi (lory they frequently quote. 



