280 AET IN SHELL OF THE ANCIENT AMERICANS. 



SHELL. 



Illustrated 

 in— 



Collection. 



Locality. 



Bosses in ! 

 marginal ', 



Bots in 

 2d zone. 



Peculiar features. 



PI. LIV. 



PI. LV, 1. ... 

 PI. LVI, 1... 

 PI. LVI, 3 .. 

 PI. LVI, 4 .. 



N.M., 32060.;. 



P. M., 15247... 



J. Jones 



P.M., llSOf... 

 P. M., 15969... 

 P. M., 15890... 



P.M 



P. M., 15906. . . 



Tenn . 



.do ... 

 ..do. .. 



.do.... 

 ..do.... 



.do.... 



.do.... 



do.. 



P. M., 15835 do.. 



P. M., 15916. ..do.. 



N. M., 19976... 

 N.M., 19975... 



.do. 

 .do . 



340 (?) 



100 (?) 

 260 (?) 



Three central per- 

 forations. 



Three incisions. 

 Un6niaheil (?) 



Two central per- 

 forations. 



Three crescent per- 

 forations. 



280 (?) 



STONE. 



N. M., National Museum. 



P. M., Peabody Museum. 



THE BIRD. 



With all peoples the bird has been a most important symbol. Pos- 

 sessing the mysterious power of flight, by which it could rise at])leas- 

 ure into the realms of space, it uaturallj' came to be associated with 

 the phenomena of the sky — the wind, the storm, the lightning, and the 

 thunder. In the fervid imagination of the red man it became the act- 

 ual ruler of the elements, the guardian of the four quarters of the 

 heaveus. As a result the bird is embodied in the myths, and is a 

 ])rominent figure in the philosophy of many savage tribes. The eagle, 

 wliich is an important emblem with many civilized nations, is fonnd to 

 come much nearer the heart of the superstitious savage; its plumes 

 are the badge of the .si.ccessful warrior; its body a sacred offering to 

 his deities, or an ol)jcct of actual veneration. The swan, the heron, 

 tiie woodpecker, tlie paroquet, the owl, and the dove were creatures of 

 unusual consideration ; their flight was noted as a matter of vital im- 

 portance, as it could bode good or evil to tlie hunter or warrior who 

 consulted it as an oracle. 



The dove, with the Hurous, is thought to be the keeper of the souls 



