290 ART IN SHELL OF THE ANCIENT AMERICANS. 



gest an interpretation. Among the tliirty or forty specimens that I have 

 examined, the engraving of the serpent is, with one exception, placed npon 

 the concave side of the disk, which is, as usual, cut from the most dis- 

 tended part of the Busycon perversum, or some similar shell. The great 

 uniformity of these designs is a matter of much surprise. At the same 

 time, however, there is no exact duplication ; there are always dift'er- 

 ences in position, detail, or number of parts. The serpent is always 

 coiled, the head occupying the center of the disk. With a very few 

 exceptions the coil is sinistral. The head is so placed that when the 

 gorget is suspended it has an erect position, the mouth opening toward 

 the right hand. 



As at first glance it will be somewhat ^lifflcult for the reader to make 

 out clearly the figure of the serpent, even with the well defined lines of 

 the drawing before him, I will present the description pretty much in 

 the order in which the design revealed itself to me in my first attempt 

 to decipher it. 



The saucer like disks are almost circulai', the upper edge being mostly 

 somewhat straightened — the result of the natural limit of tiie body of the 

 shell above. All are ground down to a fairly uniform thickness of 

 from one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch. The edges are evenly rounded 

 and smooth. Two small holes for suspension occur near the rim of the 

 straighter edge, and generally on or near the outline of the eusraved 

 design, which covers the middle portion of the plate. The diameter 

 ranges from one to six inches. 



To one who examines this design for the first time it seems a most 

 inexplicable puzzle ; a me.mingless grouping of curved, and straight 

 lines, dots anit perforations. We notice, however, a remarkable simi- 

 larity in the designs, the idea being radically the same in all specimens, 

 and the conclusion is soon reached that there is nothing haphazard in 

 the arrangements of the parts and that every line must have its place 

 and purpose. The design is in all cases inclosed by two parallel border 

 lines, leaving a plain belt from one-foni-th to three-fourths of an inch in 

 width around the edge of the disk. All simple lines are firmly traced, 

 although somewhat scratchy, and are seldom more than one-twentieth 

 of an inch in width or depth. 



In studying this design the attention is first attracted by an eye-like 

 figure near the left border. This is formed of a series of concentric 

 circles, the number of which varies from three in the most simple to 

 twelve in the more elaborate forms. The diameter of the outer circle 

 of this figure varies from one-half to one inch. Inthe center there is 

 generally a small conical depression or pit. The series of circles is par- 

 tially inclosed by a looped band one-eightli of an inch in width, which 

 opens downward to the left; the free ends extending outward to the 

 border line, gradually nearing each other and forming a kind of neck to 

 the circular figure. This band is in most cases occupied by a series of 

 dots or conical depressions varying in number from one to thirty. The 



