In the light of recent studies and with the influence of excellent documentary films in its favor, the coyote’s place in Nature is now becoming better known to the public. There seems to be no valid reason why people, who in general like dogs, should express indifference to the fate of this little wolf, which is but a wild dog with what most naturalists agree is a higher degree of native cunning and intelligence than that of the average domestic breed. In general, this attitude seems to stem from unfavorable and usually inaccurate stories circulated by word of mouth. A few hours spent in reading the scientific literature on the coyote will disprove many of these folk tales. For lighter reading try J. Frank Dobie’s _The Voice of the Coyote_ (Little, Brown & Co., Boston 1949) or _Sierra Outpost_ (Duell, Sloan & Pearce, 1941) by Lila Loftberg and David Malcolmson. These delightful accounts present the coyote for what it is—one of the more important creatures in animal society. [Illustration: coyote] When the first whites pushed their way across the western prairies, the coyote was chiefly a plains animal. Here it lived along the fringes of the huge bison herds, seldom venturing to make its own kills but sharing with the vultures the remnants left from those of the big gray wolves. With small game it was more successful, making heavy inroads upon the rodent and rabbit population. Then, as now, the coyote was also a scavenger and helped rid the plains of the carcasses of larger animals which died of natural causes. When the bison and wolves were practically exterminated, the coyote “took to the hills” and now is as frequently encountered in the higher mountains as anywhere. Farther west in the desert areas the story has been much the same. As civilization has advanced, the coyote has stubbornly retreated into the hills until now its “song” is heard in the highest canyons. The medium size and omnivorous tastes are factors which probably have much to do with its success in this new environment.