holmes! scalloped DISKS. 275 



and these have been obtained from widely scattered localities and doubt- 

 less represent centuries of time, yet no variants appear to indicate a 

 leading- up to or a divergence from the one particular type. A design 

 of purely ornamental character, even if executed by the same hand, 

 could uot, iu the nature of things, exhibit the uniformity in variation 

 here shown. Fancy, unfettered by ideas of a lixed nature, such as 

 those pertaining to religious orsociologic customs, would vary with the 

 locality, the day, the year, or tlie life. I have examined upwards of 

 thirty of these scalloped disks, the majority of which are made of shell. 

 I shall not attempt to describe each specimen, but shall call attention to 

 such important variations from the type as may be noticed. 



In Fig. 1, Plate LV, we have a well-preserved .lisk which has four 

 involute lines, the others having three only; these lines are deeply cut 

 and, for about one-third of their length, penetrate the shell, producing 

 four crescent-shaped perforations. The circles in the third or dotted 

 zone are neatly made and evenly spaced, and inclose circlets and coni- 

 cal pits. The dots iu the intervening spaces are closely and irregularly 

 placed, and in number range from forty to forty-five, giving a total of 

 about three hundred and forty. Other features are as usual. The spec- 

 imen was obtained from a stone grave in Kane's Field, near Nashville, 

 Tenn., and is now in the Peabody Museum. 



It is possible that the specimen presented in Fig. 2, Plate LV, should 

 not be placed in this group ; but as there are many points of resem- 

 blance to the type, it may be described here. x\t first sight it appears 

 that one of the outer zones is laclung, but it will be seen tiiat through 

 some uuknowu cause the two have been merged together, alternating 

 bosses of the outer line being carried across both zones. The whole de- 

 sign has been carelessly laid out and rudely engraved. The lines of the 

 involute are arranged iu four groups of two each and occupy an unusu- 

 ally wide belt. There are near the margiu two sets of perforations for 

 suspension. The specimen was obtained from the Brakebill mound, near 

 Knoxville, Tenn., and is iu an advanced stage of decay. 



In Plate LVI, Fig. 4, 1 present a small specimen, which lias the ap- 

 pearance of being unfinished. The zones are all defined, but, with the 

 exception of the outer, wliich has thirteen bosses, are quite plain. The 

 lines are deeply but rudely cut. It was obtained from a stone grave at 

 Oldtowu, Tenn., and is now in the Peabody Museum. 



Besides the type specimen already presented, there may be seen in the 

 National Museum two very good examples, from n mound near Frank- 

 lin, Tenn. The smaller is about three inches in diameter and is nearly 

 circular ; it has suffered much from decay, but nearly all the design can 

 be made out. The lines of the involute penetrate the disk iiroducing 

 short crescent-shaped perforations ; the circles in the dotted zone are 

 seven in number and inclose the usual circlets and conical pits ; the 

 dots in the intervening spaces are too obscure to be couuted. The spec- 



