498 ANNUAL EEPOET SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1916. 



This carving probably represents the head of a snake priest, for 

 a portion of the rattle of a serpent appears just above the swastika 

 at the back of the head. This becomes clear upon comparing the 

 design with one of the rattles in the tail of the conventionalized 

 serpent shown in i, and also with that of the serpent monster illus- 

 trated in plate 11, h. The swastika, which in this instance is ap- 

 parently a wind symbol, adds to the probabilit}^ of this interpreta- 

 tion. The design upon the face doubtless represents facial painting. 

 This is shown developed in h. 



HOLLOW EFFIGIES. 



Plate 11 shows a class of objects from the tumuli, the use of which 

 is unknown. They are all hollow, and most of them are pierced by 

 one or more holes. The walls of some of them are very thin, and 

 considerable skill must have been required in their making. 



An eared owl is represented in a. The notched beak, the ears 

 which project upward over the e^^e, and the outline of the ruff ex- 

 tending backward and downward from the eye, are all characteristics 

 of this bird. This is made of a stone resembling serpentine, and 

 like most objects of this class is finely executed. Two other birds 

 carved from antler are shown in d and /. The notched beaks seem 

 to indicate that they were intended to represent hawks. The first 

 was found upon an altar, and the second accompanied a burial in the 

 great mound of the Hopewell group. The tadpolelike object (c) is 

 made of serpentine ; a part of a pearl still remains in the eye. It is 

 probable that all of these effigies once had pearls inserted in their 

 e^^e cavities. 



The beetle illustrated in h is carved in light-colored calcite and 

 was taken from the group of mounds at Grand Eapids before re- 

 ferred to. What is perhaps the head of a doe is shown in e. This 

 was obtained by Squier and Davis, and the drawing is from a cast 

 in the Peabody Museum at Cambridge. 



One of the most interesting effigies of this class is represented in 

 g, h, I. This is carved in red slate and was taken from an altar of a 

 mound of the Turner group. It was broken in many pieces, nearly 

 all of which were recovered. This probably represents a mythical 

 water monster analogous to those occurring in the mythology of the 

 Pawnee and other tribes. It has the tail and head of the serpent. 

 The plates of the serpent's head are shown above and below, and the 

 four horns characteristic of the serpent deitj^ north of Mexico are 

 present. Two of the horns are carved in relief upon the top of the 

 head, and two are made separately and inserted into holes drilled in 

 each side. Like most effigies of this class, it is hollow, but the walls 

 are not perforated, 



