TMOMAS.1 THE DAKOTAN DISTRICT. 531 



earthen embaukiueiits known as " elongate " or '' wall-like mounds ;'' the 

 connected series of low conical mounds; lines or rows of conical mounds, 

 and the various modes of bui-ial. 



The earthen effigies are confliied almost exclusively to the eastern 

 portion of the district and constitute the most noted and chief distin- 

 guishing feature of the ancient works of that area. Minnesota, excejjt 

 the extreme southeastern corner, is devoid of works of this type; but 

 in the Dakotas, esiiecially South Dakota, they are replaced liy the 

 "bowlder mosaics" or surface figures formed of bowlders. Notwith- 

 standing the fact that the effigies are considered the distinguishing 

 ar<'heologic feature of this area, yet the peculiar oblong or wall-like 

 mounds to be noticed more particularly farther on, the connected series 

 of low conical tumuli, and the arrangement in rows, are features con- 

 fined almost exclusively to this district. The peculiarity of the effigy 

 mounds, as all readers of archeological literature are aware, is that 

 they are made intentionally to resemble the forms of varioirs animals 

 known to the builders and apparently, in a few cases, to resemble inani- 

 mate objects. The supposed " man mounds " are most likely poor 

 representations of swallow-tailed birds. The animals indicated by 

 these peculiar works, so far as they can be identified with reasonable cer- 

 tainty, pertain to the modern fauna of the district. The supposed excep- 

 tion to this rule — the so-called " elei)hant mound " — as proven by the 

 evidence presented in the report of field work, was probably intended to 

 represent a bear. 



The portion of the district over which mounds of this type extend 

 may be designated by the following boundary line: Starting on the 

 shore of Lake Michigan a little south of the line between Wisconsin and 

 Illinois, it runs westward to the vicinity of Rock river, where it makes a 

 sudden curve southward to include an extension down the V'alley of that 

 river a short distance into Illinois. Eending northwest, it strikes the 

 Mississippi very near the extreme southwest corner of Wisconsin. Pass- 

 ing a short distance westward into Iowa, it bends northward, including 

 about two counties in this state and the extreme southeastern county 

 of Minnesota. Thence, recrossing the Mississippi a little north of La- 

 crosse, it continues in a nearly direct line to the head of Green bay; 

 thence south along the shore of Lake Michigan to the starting point. 

 It is possible the boundary will be extended farther northward when 

 that portion of the state has been more thoroughly explored. Never- 

 theless, the indications are that comparatively few effigies will be found 

 outside of the line given ; in fact, when we jiass north of Fox river on 

 t^ .^ eastern slope, and the latitude of Adams county in the Wisconsin 

 valley, works of this class are rare. 



An examination of their distribution leads to the inference that here 

 the leading water courses have, to a large extent, determined the lines 

 and areas of settlement. Much the larger portion of them are found 

 along the main streams or leading branches of the Wisconsin, Fox,. 



