686 ANTHROPOLOGICAL PAPERS. 



some cases extreme) rudeness of form. The knife, which is the most 

 beautiful specimen of its kind that we have ever seen, is of milky quartz, 

 7f centimeters in length, about 3 centimeters wide at the middle, and 

 tapers to a point at either end. 



The fish spear has a length of 5^ centimeters and width at the base 

 of 2 centimeters ; this spear point tapers gradually to the front, the 

 forward half very thick and heavy, the breadth and thickness being 

 about equal. 



The plumb-bobis a beautiful symmetrical specimen, ovate in form, with 

 a length of 5^ centimeters and diameter of 5^ centimeters. Eunning 

 longitudinally around this specimen is a rather profound groove. 



The three last named implements, knife, spear, and plumb, are, so far 

 as known to me, of very rare occurrence in Iowa. 



On the second ridge, west (which is slightly lower) from the line of 

 mounds, and directly opposite mound No. 14, is another isolated mound. 

 This mound is 42 feet long from north to south, and 30 feet wide and 1 

 foot high at the center. Formerly a fair-sized oak tree occupied the 

 surface in the center of this mound. Many years' working of the plow 

 has reduced the height to a considerable degree. 



About 3 feet from the base of the northeast part of the mound was 

 a saucer-shaped depression (originally larger and deeper) about 22 feet 

 in diameter and 1 foot deep. Along the entire east side at the base 

 was a depression somewhat shallower than the first one. From these 

 depressions dirt had been taken for the construction of the mound. 



Near the northeast part of the mound, and 2 feet below the surface 

 of the mound and 1 foot below the natural surface of the ground around 

 the mound, was found part of a calcined skull and several leg and arm 

 bones. These bones had the appearance of having been placed here 

 in a loose, careless manner, most of them lying directed north and 

 south. Five feet to the south of the remains of the first body were the 

 remains of a second body. This body was represented by a somewhat 

 larger number of calcined leg and arm bones than the first one. The 

 condition of the few well-preserved teeth found with these bones would 

 indicate that they belonged to a person somewhat past middle life. 

 The long bones, with one exception, all lay directed north and south. 



Both bodies found here had been cremated at some other locality be- 

 fore being placed in the mound. From near the surface of the mound 

 was obtained a few pieces of charcoal, flint chippiugs, and a small piece 

 of pottery. 



The bones in this mound, as well as the bones in many of the other 

 mounds examined, had been considerably gnawed, and some of them 

 destroyed, by the pouched gopher {Geomys bursarius). These burial 

 mounds being usually located upon the highest and dry est portion of a 

 region offer special inducements for these troublesome rodents to ap- 

 propriate them for their domiciles, which they often have done. 



The charcoal found in this mound and in the mound on Mr. Capron's 



