512 



SERPEKT PIQUE SERKANOS 



fB. A. E. 



fir8t to an enlargement, suggestive of the 

 enlarged neck of a cobra; this is formed 

 by an outer wall on each side, beginning 

 at the small head and uniting in the rear. 

 Within is an inner wall inclosing a small 

 oval space. On each side of the outer 

 wall, about the middle, is an opening or 

 gateway, and back of the interior oval is 

 a slightly curved cross wall, extending 

 from one side to the other. From the 

 union of the two outer walls to the tip of 

 the tail the serpent body is represented 

 by a single embankment, fairly uniform 

 in size, though diminishing gradually to- 

 ward the tip, having serpentine bends, 

 and ending with a coil of two complete 

 turns. The height of the embankment 

 before restoration under the auspices of 

 the Peabody Museum varied from 2 to 

 3j ft, and probably never exceeded 4 

 ft. The entire length, irom the point of 

 the head to the end of the tail, follow- 

 ing the curves and bends, as measured 

 by MacLean, is 1,330 ft; the width va- 

 ries from 15 to 20 ft. The length of the 

 oval, as given by Squier and Davis, is 160 

 ft, and its width 80 ft. In the middle is 

 a low mound, about 15 ft in diameter, 

 which has been partially excavated, 

 revealing stones in the centei", some of 

 which appear to have l)een burned. The 

 serpent form is so accurately imitated as 

 to leave no doubt that it was the object 

 of the builders to represent this reptile. 

 "Beginning with a small pit at the ter- 

 minal point, we follow the unfolding coil 

 for two full turns, and then advance along 

 the body to its highest point on the ridge. 

 The curves are strong and even, and the 

 body increases gradually in height and 

 width as we advance. Upon the crest of 

 the ridge we find ourselves at the begin- 

 ning of three great double folds. Follow- 

 ing these, we descend into a slight sag 

 . . . and ascend again slightly to a 

 pointwhere the body straightens outalong 

 the ridge. Beyond this we reach the 

 curious enlargement with its triangular 

 and oval enclosures" (Holmes). There 

 is nothing to be found to indicate the legs 

 of MacLean's frog or the winglike pro- 

 jections of Squier and Davis's figure. The 

 most reasonable suggestion respecting the 

 enlargement and the oval is that of 

 Holmes: " When we restore the neck and 

 head of the reptile, omitted by Squier and 

 Davis and misinterpreted by others, the 

 strange oval takes the position of the heart, 

 and in all probability marks the site of 

 the ceremonies that must have been con- 

 nected with this work." 



The land on which the Serpent Mound 

 is situated was purchased for the Peabody 

 Museum; fences were l)uilt, trees planted, 

 and defaced portions of the artificial work 

 restored and sodded. In IHOO the trus- 

 tees of Harvard College deeded the prop- 

 erty to the Ohio Archeological and His- 



torical Society, to which it now belongs. 

 The most accurate drawing is that by 

 Holmes, above referred to, also repro- 

 duced in the 12th Rep. B. A. E., 493, 1894. 

 See Thomas, Cat. Prehist. Works, 161, 

 1891, with bil)]iographv; Reps. Peabody 

 Museum, 1899-1900, et seq. ; Randall, Ser- 

 pent Mound, 1905. (c. T.) 



Serpent Pique. See Olabalkehiche. 



Serper. A Yurok village on Klamath 

 r., N. w. Cal., about 25 m. below the 

 mouth of the Trinity, or 5 m. below Kla- 

 math P. O. 



Sche-perrh. — Gibbs (1S51) in Schoolcraft, Ind. 

 Tribes, III, 13S, 1853. Sehe-perrh.— Ibid.. 147. Ser- 

 per.— A. L. Kroeber, inf n, 1906. 



Serranos (Span.: 'highlanders', 'moun- 

 taineers' ). A Shoshonean division with a 

 common dialect, centering in the San Ber- 

 nardino mts., s. Cal., N. of Los Angeles, 

 but extending down Mohave r. at least 

 to I^aggett and n. across the Mohave des- 

 ert into the valley of Tejon cr. They also 

 occupied San Bernardino valley. Fray 

 Francisco (larces, in 1775-76, descril)ed 

 the Serranos near Tejon cr., under the 

 name Cuabajai or Cuabajay (their Mo- 

 have name), as living in large square 

 communal houses of tule mats on a frame- 

 work of willow, each family having its 

 own fireplace; they made small baskets, 

 flint knives, and vessels inlaid with 

 mother-of-pearl, and conducted much 

 trade with the natives of the coast near 

 Santa Barbara. One of their rancherias 

 Caret's named San Pascual. The Serra- 

 nos on the upper waters of Santa Ana r. 

 he called also l)y their Mohave name, 

 Jenequich (Hanakwiche). In his time 

 these were approachable "and of mid- 

 dling good heart; they are of medium 

 stature, and the womensomewhatsmaller, 

 round-faced, flat-nosed, and rather ugly; 

 their custom in gentiledom is for the men 

 to go entirely naked, and the women 

 wear some sort of deerskin, with which 

 they cover themselves, and also some 

 small coat of otter or of hare. ' ' The same 

 friar visited the Serranos of Mohave r., 

 whom he designated Befieme (from Van- 

 jinme, the Mohave name of this branch). 

 These were very poor, but possessed bas- 

 kets, otter and rabbit coats, and some very 

 curious snares which they made of wild 

 hemp. They subsisted on wild game and 

 acorns. "As a rule they are very effemi- 

 nate, and the wometi uncleanly, but all 

 are very quiet and inoffensive." The 

 Serranos formed part of the Indians 

 brought under San Gabriel and San Fer- 

 nando missions. So far as recorded the 

 villages or rancherias of the Serranos 

 were: Homhoabit, Jurumpa, Juyubit, 

 Muscupial)it, San Benito, San Gorgonio, 

 San Pascual, Tolocabi, and Yucaipa. In 

 1885 there were 390 Serranos attached to 

 the Mission agency, but they are no longer 

 separately enumerated. 



