!)0 MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



seating' iiuiinals, distributed as shown in Fig. -t'.i. All are in an excel 

 lent state of preservation save where recent excavations conducted by 

 Mr. Derby have mutilated them. The southern mound was conical in 

 shape and about 20 feet in diameter and 6 feet high. When iVIr. Derby 

 began his excavations the eastern half of the cone was covered with 

 rough stone slabs obtained from the vicinity. In digging into the cen- 

 ter of the mound four stones as large as a human head were found near 

 the surface. At the depth of a foot a circle of stones was encountered, 

 having a diameter of 4 feet; at a depth of about 2 feet the top of a cis- 

 tern, 3i feet in diameter, of well laid stones, was uncovered. This was 

 3 feet deep and had been built upon the surface of the limestones of 

 the blufi'. The well was filled with black earth, in which were found 

 seven oblong shell beads, a copper celt of ordinary shape, and a red 

 pipestone, platform pipe; outside of the well a tlake of flint was found, 

 and some curious lines of colored sand were observed. These seemed 

 to radiate roughly from the center of the mound and were followed to 

 the circumference by the explorers. Wide trenches were carried across 

 the mound from east to west and from north to south. 



The second mound was much like the first and is still perfect, save 

 for the sinking of a pit in the center. Nothing of interest was found. 

 The present diameter is over 30 feet in the line of the ridge and some- 

 what less across it. The height is feet. 



A little over 100 feet to the north of this mound is the first animal 

 mound. The creature, possibly a bear, is represented as lying upon its 

 side with the head to the south and the feet to the east. The body is a 

 neatly rounded ridge 70 feet long and nearly 25 feet wide, and has a 

 relief of nearly 4 feet. The head is about 30 feet long, the projection 

 representing the ears being very slightly indicated and diflBcult to 

 define. The low ridge representing the forelegs is straight, while that 

 for the hinder ones is bent, thus defining the ganibrel joint. The dis- 

 tance li'oni the toes to the back line is a little less than 40 feet. This 

 figure is of the most frequently occurring type of effigy works. 



The other effigy mound, 150 feet to the north, is of a form somewhat 

 unusual. It is spread out upon the ridge, after the fashion of a lizard 

 or alligator. The head is toward the south, and is merely a rounded 

 projection of the body embankment. The tail at the opposite end is 

 upwards of 35 teet long, but is very attenuated and indistinct toward 

 the tip. The body is a rounded ridge 3J feet high and less than 20 

 feet wide, and the legs, extended to the right and left, are low embank- 

 ments of earth, the forelegs being bent forward and the hinder ones 

 backward, as shown in the illustration. 



Passing north along this ridge, another series of mounds is encoun- 

 tered. The first member is an oblong mound, about three-fourths of a 

 mile beyond the residence of Mr. Derby. This is followed by a series 

 of works in which are oblong, conical, and animal mounds, some of 

 which are almost obliterated by the plow. 



