176 
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 
Freshly prepared skins of birds or rodents, when properly pinned to the shelves, 
withstand the jolting of carrying by hand and of ordinary travel in good shape, 
but will not resist the attacks of the average “baggage smasher,” of course. 
The cut shows a couple of thin perpendicular strips in the rear of the case. 
These are so placed as to allow the passage of air behind the shelves for the better 
ventilation and more rapid drying of specimens. The wire side of the screen 
door must always be turned to the re'ar so that the frame will present something 
for the fingers to grasp in handling. 
A lock is put on the solid door, and two pieces of metal are secured in slots 
so as to drop down and act as catches. When the outer door is removed for 
drying specimens these will also keep the screen door in place. These catches, 
as shown in the cut, could be improved upon, or small flat bolts might be set 
in the door instead, so long as everything is flush with the surface. Some sort 
of a trunk handle on the top of the case, and a leather “tab” fastened with screws 
on the door to aid in handling it, complete the job. — Joseph Mailliakd, Cali- 
fornia Academy of Sciences, San Francisco. 
RECENT LITERATURE 
Dixon, Joseph. Control of the Coyote in California. Berkeley, Uni- 
versity of California Press, Bull, no. 320, College of Agriculture, pp. 379-397, 
7 figs., April, 1920. 
In this bulletin the author has succeeded admirably in presenting a concise 
and fair statement of the economic relations of the coyote in California and the 
measures proposed for its control. To those who would regret the passing of 
the coyote, Dixon’s demonstration of the fact that “a coyote is not necessarily 
a bad citizen” will be welcome. With prime coyote pelts selling up to $10 and 
even $20 each the fur value of the animal is not to be minimized. Add to this 
the beneficial activities of the coyote in destroying noxious rodents, particularly 
ground squirrels, and it must be conceded that the economic value of the animal 
is a real and not an imaginary quantity. Of course, adverse testimony is not 
lacking. The coyote is stated to be the most destructive carnivorous animal 
now existing in California, and reference is made to depredations on deer, sheep, 
pigs, and calves. Furthermore there is, at times, grave danger of the spread of 
rabies through coyotes to horses, cows, goats, dogs, cats, and other domestic 
animals as well as to man. Consequently control measures are essential. 
The bounty system is unreservedly condemned, as being vastly expensive, 
productive of endless fraud, and failing to give general or permanent relief. 
Coyote proof fences give good results under favorable conditions. The four 
most effective methods of destroying coyotes are stated to be trapping, poisoning 
with strychnine, digging out dens containing young, and shooting. It is Dixon’s 
opinion, on the basis of results obtained in Nevada and parts of California, that 
cooperation in coyote control between the State and Federal governments 
through the Biological Survey is much superior to the bounty system. This 
work, supervised by the government, is carried on upon a half-and-half basis. 
Experienced trappers are employed on a salary and are not permitted to accept 
bounties from any source. 
