Mound No. 25 113 



(compare the head of the bird with that in Plate LXXVIII, No. 2 and 

 Fig. 63). Two incised ovals are cut in the back of the animal, and 

 another is present upon the upper side of the tail. These oval figures 

 are probably analogous to similar elliptical forms common upon the 

 backs and above the head of animals which appear in the incised carv- 

 ings of the Ohio Mound Builders. The head and beak of the bird, its 

 somewhat conventionalized wing, and a part of the tail appear on the 

 side shown in this drawing. Two perforations extend through the back 

 of the animal and open into the interior cavity of the effigy. The 

 relative size of the cavity is shown by the oval line in Plate LXXXIII, 

 No. 3. The bird wings are turned back between the animal's legs. The 

 neck of the bird extends along the quadruped's head and neck, and 

 disappears beneath its body. The continuous outline of the spoonbill is 

 indicated by wide incised lines upon the under side of the carving and 

 within the cavity. These lines are represented by heavy lines, and the 

 broken lines show that portion of the bird appearing upon the sides of 

 the carving." 



Skeletons 283 and 284. Nothing was found with either of these. 

 They lay in the edge of Cut No. 5, with heads to the north. As in the 

 case of nearly all skeletons in the moimd, they were utterly decayed. 



The first altar found was in Section 3, about 28 feet north of the 

 copper find and upon the base line of the mound. It was evident that 

 a quantity of wood had first been placed in the basin of the altar, and 

 that the earth had been heaped over it and the objects, while it was still 

 burning. Thus, although the contents of the altar were badly charred 

 and burned, not all the objects had been destroyed. The objects had 

 been heaped in the cavity of the altar without any regularity of position, 

 and included mica ornaments, spool-shaped copper ornaments, copper 

 balls, many other copper objects, large beads, bear's and panther's 

 teeth, carved bones, several effigies carved out of stone, stone tablets, 

 slate ornaments, beautiful stone and terracotta rings, quartz crystals 

 worked in various forms, flint knives, and cloth. The heat of the fire 

 had evidently been intense, for much of the copper was melted and run 

 together. 



Section 4. Skeleton 262 was found only 18 inches below the surface 

 in this section. A large stone celt lay near the neck. It is highly 

 probable that it was an intrusive burial. Skeleton 263, that of a child, 

 was found near the surface on the north side. 



Skeleton 276 was found on the base line. There were no objects 

 with it. The floor of this section presented the same appearance as that 

 of Sections 2 and 3, being burned hard, but no platforms surrounded by 



