iioLMEsl PENDANT ORNAMENTS OP THE MOUND-BUILDERS. 259 



faces and rounded edges. The first lias two perforations at the upper 

 edge, while the other has siuii'arly placed but much smaller ones, be- 

 sides a small central perforation surrounded by an incised circle. The 

 national colk'ctiou contains similar specimens from most of the Atlantic 

 States ; they differ from the larger discoidal beads only in the method 

 of perforation. A typical specimen of thi ^ class, four and a half inches 

 in diameter, is shown in Fig. 3. It was associated with the remains of 

 a number of children in a mound in Hardin County, Ohio. Disks of 

 this class were usually susiKuided upon the breast with the concave side 

 out. That many of the specimens described were suspended in this waj' 

 is indicated by the character of the abrasion produced by the cords. On 

 the concave side the cord of suspension has worn deep grooves between 

 the perforations, and on the opposite or convex side similar grooves extend 

 obli(|uely upward from the holes toward the nuu-gin of the disk, indicat- 

 ing the passage of the cord upward aud outward arouud tiie neck of 

 the wearer. 



A large wliite disk, similar to the one just described, was obtained 

 from a grave at Accotink, Va. It is live inches in diameter and has one 

 central and three marginal perforations. It is made from a Busyconpcr- 

 versum, and is neatly shaped and well polished. 



A line specimen two inches in diameter was obtained from a mound 

 ou the French Broad Eiver, Teuu., and, with many other similar speci- 

 mens, is now in the national collection. 



The central perforation is often very much enlarged. A number of 

 specimens, recently sent to the National Museum, irom a monnd in 

 Auglaize County, Ohio, show several stages of this enlargeuieut. One 

 specimen five inches across has a perforation nearly one incli in diame- 

 ter, while in another the perforation is enlarged until the disk has be- 

 come a ring. These gorgets show evidences of long use, the surfaces 

 and edges being worn aud the perforations much extended in the man- 

 ner described above. They have been derived from the Busycon per- 

 versum. 



In Fig. 4 I illustrate an annular gorget from a mound in Alexander 

 County, 111. It was found associated with ornaments of copper by the 

 side of a human skull, aud is hence supposed to have been an ear or- 

 nament. It is fragmentary and has suffered greatly from decay, the 

 surface being mostly covered with a dark film of decomposed shell sub- 

 stance, which when broken away, exposes the chalky surface of the 

 shell. These shell rings, o far as I can learu, have been found in the 

 States of Ohio aud Illinois only. 



Ilectaugular pendants are nnu;h more rare. The national collection 

 contains one rude specimen from Texas. It is about two inches wide 

 by two and a half long, and is made from the base of some large dex- 

 tral-whork'd shell. A similar but much more finished specimen comes 

 from Georgia, aud is preserved in the New York Natural History Mu- 

 seum. 



