The Geology of Hingham. 71 



Some account of investigations made to learn more than was 

 known of the Indians of Hingham, and some mention of chance 

 discoveries yielding information concerning the animals that were 

 contemporary with them, will now be given. 



REMAINS OF AN EARLY PERIOD FOUND IN 



HINGHAM. 



In a shell heap on World's End there were found several years 

 since by Professor Spencer F. Baird, Dr. Thomas M. Brewer, Mr. 

 Francis W. Brewer, and others, bones of the 



Goose Fish, — Lophius piscatorius, Linn., 



Cod, — Gadus collar ins, Linn., 

 with many of unknown fishes. 



Birds belonging to several species, large and small, but not recogniz- 

 able. 



Deer, — Cariacus virginianus (Bodd), Gray. 



Foxes, — Vu/pes vulgaris, pennsylvanicus (Bodd), Coues. 



Otter. — Lutra canadensis, Turton. 



Red Squirrel, teeth of, — Scinrus hudsonius, Pallas. 



Beaver, teeth of, — Castor Jiber, canadensis (Linn.), Allen. 



Besides the bones, there were several pieces of pottery orna- 

 mented by dots and lines. 



One deer bone was finely pointed apparently for use as an awl. 

 The most of these relics were found on beds of charcoal. 



As the Indian went no farther for food than he could help, it 

 may reasonably be inferred that the animals whose bones are men- 

 tioned were found in the immediate neighborhood. 



In 1868 Professor Spencer F. Baird, Professor Jeffries Wyman, 

 Mr. Fearing Burr, Dr. Thomas M. Brewer, and others, including 

 the writer, joined in a party for the purpose of exploration at a 

 known burial-place of the aborigines on the slope of Atlantic 

 Hill near Nantasket Beach. The hill had been much duo: awav 

 for roadways, and bones had been frequently found there with 

 other relics, such as broken pottery, axes, chisels, etc. 



From what had been obtained by previous parties, and from 

 what little was procured by the persons above-mentioned, it was 

 manifest that the burials were comparatively recent. The best 

 evidence that the locality was used as a place of sepulture since 

 the advent of the white man, was the fact that among undoubted 

 specimens of aboriginal art were quite as undoubted specimens of 

 the skill of the European, notably in fragments of brass imple- 

 ments such as kettles or pans. Wishing if possible to examine a 

 burial-field where evidence of greater antiquity would be conclu- 

 sive, the party proceeded to the slope of a declivity, facing south 

 towards Weir River Bay, where numerous circular depressions on 



