148 DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 



the west. These skeletons were covered over with a layer of split oak 

 wood, very much decayed, lying crossAvise, or north and south. 



Between the skulls was found a piece of galena, much coated with 

 carbonate, one flint arrow-head, a small piece of obsidian, and a very 

 remarkable stone pipe, representing a snake coiled around an up- 

 right cylinder (or stump?) and covered with some very thin metallic 

 coating — probably galena. 



Near the right hand of the left skeleton were found some fragments 

 of a much decayed sea-shell. In the other mounds explored nothing 

 was found except a few bones. 



The three mounds containing the relics above mentioned were all 

 situated in the front row, near the edge of the bluff. The bones were 

 all much decayed, and no skulls were obtained which could be pre- 

 served. The bodies, when buried, had been placed upon the natural 

 surface of the earth and the mounds built up over them, composed 

 of earth taken from the surface in the immediate vicinity. The turtle 

 and lizard pipes were obtained for the Academy, and are now in the 

 Museum, contiibuted by Mr. Pratt. 



The most important pipe, representing the serpent, and with metal- 

 lic coating, I have as yet been unable to obtain for the Academy, ex- 

 cept as a loan for examination and exhibition. 



These three pipes are, like all those found in the mounds of Iowa 

 and adjacent portions of Illinois, of the usual curved base type, which 

 form, so far as I can learn, has never been found associated with cop- 

 per arrow and spear heads, and knives like those in the Wisconsin 

 Historical Society collection. Nor has any other form of pipe ever been 

 found in connection with such copper implements (axes, celts, &c.) as 

 those in the Davenport collection. 



January 5th, 1881. — Annual Meeting. 



The President, Mr. W. H. Pratt, in the chair. Twenty-seven 

 members and four visitors present. 



The several officers presented their reports as follows : 

 The Corresponding Secretary, Mr. J. D. Putnam, reported 434 

 letters written and 537 letters received, an increase over any previous 

 year, notwithstanding that other duties had forced him to neglect the 

 correspondence to a considerable extent. The exchange of printed 

 publications has also been very considerable ; though not so great as 

 it might have been if the proceedings could have been distributed 

 more promptly. 



