KNOWLEDGE OP TROPICAL ANIMALS BY MOUND- 

 BUILDERS. 



The sni)posed evidence of a knowledge of tropical aninials possessed 

 by tlie ancient dwellers of tbe Mississippi Valley which has just been 

 discussed seems to have powerfully impressed Wilson, and in his Pre- 

 historic Man he devotes much space to the consideration of the matter. 

 His ideas on the subject will be understood from the following quota- 

 tion: 



By the fidelity of the representatious of so great a variety of subjects copied from 

 animal life, they fiiniisli evidence of a knowledge in the Mississijipi Valley, of the 

 fauDa peculiar not only to southern but to tropical latitudes, extending beyond the 

 Isthmus into the southern continent ; and suggestive either of arts derived from a for- 

 eign source, and of an intimate intercourse maintaiued with the central regious where 

 thecivilizationof ancient America attaiued its highest development: or else indicative 

 of migration, and an intrusion into the northern continent, of the race of the ancient 

 graves of Central and Southern America, bringing with them the arts of the tropics, 

 and models derived from the animals familiar to their fathers in the parent-land of 

 the race. (Vol. l,p. 475.) 



The author subsequently shows his preference for the theory of -a 

 migration of the race of the Mound-Builders from southern regions as 

 being on the whole more probable. Wilson does not, howt^ver, content 

 himself with the evidence afforded by the birds and animals which have 

 just been discussed, but strengthens his argument by extending the list 

 of supposed exotic forms known to the Mound-Builders in the following 

 words (vol. 1, p. 477): 



But we must account by other means for the discovery of accurate miniature repre- 

 sentations of it (i. e. the Manatee) among the sculptures of the far-inland mounds of 

 Ohio; and the same remark equally applies to the jaguar or panther, the cougar, the 

 toucan ; to the buzzard possibly, and also to the paroquet. The majority of these ani- 

 mals arc not known in the United States; some of them are totaUi/ unknown within any part 

 of the Xorth American continent. (Italics of the ijresent writer.) Others may be classed 

 with the paroquet, whicli, though essentially a southern bird, and common in the 

 Gulf, does occasionally make its appearance inland ; and might possibly become 

 known to the uutraveled Mound-Builder among the faunii of his owu northern 

 home. 



The information contained in the above paragraph lelative to the 

 range of some of the animals mentioned may well be viewed with sur- 

 prise by naturalists. To begin with, the jaguar or panther, by which 

 vernacular names the Felis onca is prestimably meant, is not only found 

 in Northern Mexico, but extends its range into the United States and 

 appears as far north as the lied Eiver of Louisiana. (See Baird's Mam- 

 mals of North America.) Hence a sculptured representation of this 

 animal in the mounds, although by no means likely, is not entirely out 

 of the question. However, among the several carvings of the cat family 

 142 



