660 PROCEEDiyOS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.46. 



The "round holes, similar to mortars," mentioned in the preceding 

 account, exist as described, but their origin may be attributed to the 

 dripping of water from the top of the cave, rather than the work of 

 man. The figures cut on this limestone surface have been met with 

 in other parts of the Mississippi A^alley, some being represented in 

 thin copper, others serving as decorations on earthenware vessels. 



1. A bird, showing the wings, body, and tail. Unfortunately the 

 head can no longer be traced. The expanded tail is the most inter- 

 esting feature of this figure, and this at once suggests the copper 

 pendant recovered from a site in Cross County, Arkansas.^ The 

 pendant is a most unusual example of aboriginal art. It represents 

 a bird highly conventionalized. The wings, body, tail, and claws 

 are clearly shown. The head is crested and a small perforation 

 represents the eye. The expanded tail is so similar to this peculiar 

 feature of the petroglyph that little doubt remains that both figures 

 were intended to represent the same bird. This may have been the 

 large crested woodpecker, CeopMoeus pileatus. And in turn this sug- 

 gests the gold object representing the head of a woodpecker which was 

 discovered by Rau in a mound in Manatee County, Florida. 



2, 3, and 4. Birds. The latter may be the "eagle cut into the 

 rock," of the earlier description. The ciu-ved beak certainly resem- 

 bles that of the eagle. In some respects this carving is similar to the 

 figure in sheet copper found in a mound near Peoria, Illinois, figured 

 by Thomas.^ 



5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Probably all have been found either alone or in 

 combination with other figures or designs, on earthenware vessels 

 recovered from mounds in the central portion of the Mississippi 

 Valley. These are usually regarded as being cosmic symbols. 



1 1 . Representing the imprint of the left hand. 



12. Representing the impression of a small human foot. As will 

 be seen on the plan of the cave, this is near the opening, on the east 

 side. It is the least distinct of the petroglyphs. This was probably 

 one of the figures referred to in th? earlier account, one of the "foot- 

 prints of a pappoose just commencing to walk." Similar carvings 

 have been found in many parts of the country.^ 



13. This may have been intended to represent the track or foot- 

 print of some large bird, evidently one of the 'Turkey tracks." 



Contrary to the belief of the writer of the article in the Plaindealer, 

 the petroglyphs must necessarily be of comparatively recent origin, 

 otherwise they would have been more nearly obliterated by the 



1 Moore, Clarence B., Antiquities of the St. Francis, White, and Black Rivers, Arkansas, in Joum. Acad. 

 Nat. Sci. of PhUa., 1910, pi. 10, p. 2S3. 



2 Thomas, Cyrus, Report on the Mound Explorations of the Bureau of Ethnology, in Twelfth Rep. 

 Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 309. 



» Bushnell, D. I., jr., Petroglyphs Representing the Imprint of the Human Foot, in Amer. Anlhr., vol. 

 15, pp. 8-15. 



