84 



MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



Other oblong mounds, said to have been situated to the north of these, 

 have been obliterated by the plow. The most sonthern of the effigy 

 mounds would seem never to have been linished. The body is represented 

 by a well-rounded ridge, and the head and forelegs are present, but only 

 a trace of one of the hind legs appears. These mounds are in a forest 

 and have not been disturbed by the whites. The other animal figure 

 is somewhat larger, the body being 90 feet long. The legs are unusually 

 long, the length from the toes to the back line being upwards of 40 feet. 

 The head is merely a heavy rounded projection, and the tail is so ob- 

 scure as to be barely traceable. 



WORKS NEAR CASSVILLE. 



About 1 mile south of Cassville the road traverses a bench or level 

 bottom, which is seldom overflowed, extending from the bluft's to a 

 bayou, a distance of nearly 1 mile. Near this road on one side, when 

 visited in 1880, were two lines of works, consisting of effigy, circular, 

 and elongate mounds, and on the other a single row of circular mounds. 

 These, except 1 and 2, are shown in their respective forms and positions 

 in Fig. 41. 



Nos. 12 to 15 are small circular and oval mounds on the eastern side 

 of the road in a line south of the Eagle's head ; Nos. 16 to 28 the row 

 of circular mounds on the west side of the road. The latter vary in 

 diameter from 15 to 40 feet and in height from 3 to 5 feet. Quite a 

 number of these had previously been opened, and, as was ascertained, 

 presented evidences of intrusive burials. 



Excavations were made in a number of the mounds of this and adja 

 cent groups, but nothing was discovered save human bones in the 

 last stages of decay. 



This locality was revisited in 1890, when slight traces of these works 

 were seen. The railroad had been carried directly through the group 

 and an immense gravel pit now occupies the site. About three fourths 

 of one of the bird figures remain and some shapeless hillocks mark the 

 line of conical mounds. 



