1884.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 275 



ON THE CUSPIDIFORM PETEOGLYPHS, OR SO-CALLED BIRD-TRACZ 

 ROCK-SCULPIUBES, OF OHIO. 



BY DR. D. G. BRINTON. 



In the study of American rock-sculptures, the attention 

 of archaeologists has several times been drawn to a peculiar 

 character which appears frequently on the inscribed rocks of 

 central and northern Ohio, and rarely, or not at all, outside of 

 this region. 



It has been called a bird-track or specifically, a turkey-track, 

 and has been supposed to be a conventional representation of the 

 impression of the foot of this or some other bird. A recent study 

 of one of the best examples of it, near Newark, Ohio, has led me 

 to a different opinion as to its significance, and I take the occa- 

 sion to explain this, and also to offer some suggestions as to the 

 distribution and purport of this design. 



In Ohio, rocks bearing this figure are found near Barnes- 

 ville, Belmont Co. ; near Amherst, Lorain Co. ; at Independence, 

 Cuyahoga Co. ; in Licking Co., and elsewhere. It does not occur 

 in the rather numerous inscriptions upon the Ohio River, nor in 

 those south of that stream. Nor has it been reported in the 

 various petroglyphs existing in the Susquehanna Valley and in 

 New England. In fact, it seems confined pretty closely to that 

 area which was occupied by that people whom we call, for want 

 of a better name, the mound-builders. This adds interest to the 

 investigation of the character and its meaning. 



That it possessed some definite signification would seem to 

 be demonstrated b}^ the frequency of its recurrence and the regu- 

 larity shown in its tracings ; this indicating that it was a familiar 

 figure, and that constant repetition had conferred on the designer 

 a certain technical skill in forming it. This would not be the 

 case were it merely the product of an idle hand, and of no 

 import. 



As I have said, this peculiar figure does not occur in other 

 American rock-inscriptions. It is, indeed, very rare in any other 

 locality. Dr. Richard Andree, in his " Ethnographische ParaU 

 lelen?'' (Stuttgart, 1878), gives drawings of fifty-nine rock inscrip- 

 tions from various parts of the world, but on examining them I 

 find only one which presents any analogy to that under considera- 



