LISTS OF SPECIMENS DISTRIBUTED. 



287 



SiNKKE, Pendant, ok Charm.— Hematite. 



Morehouse ('ounty, La. 



Original, No. 29178, in IT. S. Natioual Mu- 



.seimi ; collected by Beiij. H. Broflnax. 



Sinker, Pendant, or Charm.— Hematite. 



Plauteraville, La. 

 Original, 110.34408, in U. S. National Mu- 

 seum; collected by Benj. H. Brodnax. 



SPADE-SHAPED IMPLEMENTS. 



Tliese might be classed with the ceremonial 

 objects, as no practical use has been suggested 

 lor them. Their rarity and restricted locality 

 would seem to indicate a purpose more ceremonial 

 than otherwise. Less than a dozen are repre- 

 sented in the collection of the U. S. National 

 Museum, the majority coming from Tennessee; 

 northern Georgia and northeastern Arkansas 

 furnishing one specimen each. They are always 

 polished, and the spade portion is never brought 

 to a shari> cutting edge. The material of which 

 they are made is always compact, iine-grained 

 stone, greenstone, chlorite, lydite, etc. (Hand- 

 book, p. 657, tig. 26.) 



Spade-shaped Implement.— Green 



chlorite. 



From a mound (without skeleton). Hill 



Bayou, near Des Arc, Prairie ('ounty. 



Ark. 



Original, No. 88130, in U. S. National Mu- 



.seuiii ; collected by Dr. E. Palmer. 



CEKEMONIAL OBJECTS. 



The purpose of these objects is purely conjec- 

 tural. For want of a name indicating their use they 

 liave been called variously, ceremonial objects, 

 banner stones, butterflies, etc. Their material is 

 usually too soft and fragile to have served as 

 cutting implements or weapons. They are not 

 sharpened to a cutting edge, and their signs of use 

 are rare, except that they are often broken. The 

 hole is too small for the insertion of a handle for 

 service. While some specimens are of slate and 

 other sofi substances, indicating that they might 

 have been ornaments, yet others are of quartz, 

 jasper, syenite, and similar substances — hard, and 

 dirticult to shape, polish, or drill. Some speci- 

 mens show only the rude form made by hammer- 

 ing and pecking; others, although finished by 

 l)ulishing, are destitute of shaft holes, or merely 

 show their beginnings, demonstrating the fact 

 that in America (as in Europe) articles were first 

 brought to the required shape and afterwards 

 drilled. A large number of these objects are 

 fouiul broken after being completely finished, both 

 by polishing and drilling, and in some cases the 

 blades or wings show perforations similar to those 

 in the tablets. This indicates a secondary use, 

 possiblj^ as badges or ornaments, and so they 

 were considered of value, even when broken. 

 (Handbook, p. 648, fig. 23.) 



CEUE.MONIAL OB.IECT. 



Howard County, Md. 

 Cast, No. 32086, in V. S. National Muscuiii ; 

 original collected by .1. D. McGuire, esq. 



Ceremonial Oiueot.— Striped slate. 



Sandusky County, Ohio. 



Cast, No. 35627, in U. S. National Museum : 



original collected by Lewis Leppelnian. 



Ceremonial Object.— Mottled syenite. 



Prince George County, Md. 

 Original, No. 34648, in U. S. National Mu- 

 seum ; collected by Dr. E. R. Eeynolds. 



Ceremonial 0b.iect.— Argillite. 



Fremont, Ohio. 



Cast, No. 35625, in U. S. National Museum ; 



original collected by Lewis Leppehuan. 



Ceremonial Object. — Striped slate. 



Fremont, Ohio. 



Cast, No. 35608, in U. S. National Museum ; 



original collected by Lewis Leppehuan. 



Ceremonial Object. — Ferrugiimus 



quartz. 



\Yayn6 County, Ohio. 



Cast, No. 32382, in U. S. National Muscmn ; 

 original collected by R. M. Norris. 



Ceremonial Object. — Ferruginous 



(juartz. 



Fi'om a mound, Connersville, Ind. 



Cast, No. 31675, in U. S. National Museum ; 



original collected by Prof. Van Benschoten. 



Ceremonial Object.— Striped slate. 



Cumberland County, Pa. 



Cast, No. 31674, in U. S. National Museum ; 



original collected by .Tohn G. Comfort. 



Cere.monial Object. — Striped slate. 



Fremont, Ohio. 



Cast, No. 35611, in U. S. National Museum ; 



original collected by Lewis Leppelnian. 



BIRD-SHAPED OBJECTS. 



This name is given to a class of objects some- 

 what bird-like in shape, but which run impercep- 

 tibly into other conventional forms, such as the 

 fence lizard, turtle, etc. They generally stand 

 on flat bases, pierced with a diagonal hole at each 

 end where the breast and tail rise. In some 

 cases the eyes are not represented; in others 

 they are marked by bead-like projec'tions expand- 

 ing into discs. Some specimens belonging to 

 this class were evidently not intended to repre- 

 sent either birds or animals, both ends being 

 alike. Various theories as to their use have been 



