December 31, 1886.] 



SCIENCE. 



627 



stone. The outline is curved, and presents a num- 

 ber of encircling ledges marking the thickness of 

 the firmer strata. The rock immediately beneath 

 is massive and coarse-grained, and, from rapid 

 disintegration, has receded a number of feet, and. 

 exhibits a tendency to weather into caves. The 

 entire exposure of rock at the point is perhaps 

 forty feet in height. Beneath this a talus slope 

 some thirty or forty feet in height, and covered 

 with bushes, extends to the creek bottom. De- 

 scending the bluff at the left of the point, and 

 crossing the belt of bottom land, we get a compre- 

 hensive idea of the promontory. In the sketch 

 presented herewith, the numerous forest-trees and 

 all undergrowth are omitted. It will be seen that 

 from the point the exposure of rock extends back 

 along the creek, descending slightly and soon dis- 

 appearing, save where occasional masses project 

 through the rounded slopes. The minute figure 



that the terminal portion is a frog, as suggested by 

 McLean. It would not seem unreasonable that 

 the former feature should be simply the eye of the 

 effigy ; but we have another explanation more in 

 accord, perhaps, witli the analogies of native 

 ceremonial art. The heart, which represents the 

 life, is made a prominent feature in all super- 

 stitious delineations of living creatures, as shown 

 by a multitude of examples. 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 cere- 

 monies that must have been connected with this 

 work. This leads to a consideration of the proper 

 identification of the head of the effigy, and the 

 relations of the natural to the artificial features 

 of the site. From the point of view of my second 

 illustration, we have a comprehensive view of the 





.X 



Fig. S. — The serpent headland from the creek bank, trees omitted. 



of a man is intended to indicate approximately 

 the termination of the artificial embankment. 



I wish now to call attention to a few points 

 bearing upon the origin and significance of the 

 work and its possible relations to the topography 

 of the site. The use of the serpent by our abo- 

 riginal races has been well-nigh universal, so that 

 we need not hesitate to class this specimen with 

 other products of their religion, and we should 

 naturally expect to find the counterpart of each 

 feature in other representations, ancient and mod- 

 ern. 



Most of the attempts to throw light upon the 

 more extraordinary features of the work have 

 been made through the medium of oriental philos- 

 ophy ; but it is manifestly wrong to go thus out 

 of our way to seek a symbolism for the oval en- 

 closure, as do Squier and Davis, who liken it to 

 the symbolic egg of old-world philosophy ; nor 

 need we make a serious effort to combat the idea 



serpent ridge. Havmg the idea of a great serpent 

 in the mind, one is at once struck with the re- 

 markable contour of the bluff, and especially of 

 the exposure of rock, which readily assumes the 

 appearance of a colossal reptile lifting its fi'ont 

 from the bed of the stream. The head is the 

 point of rock, the dark lip-like edge is the muzzle, 

 the light-colored under side is the white neck, the 

 caves are the ejts, and the projecting masses to 

 the right are the protruding coils of the body. 

 Tiie varying effects of light must greatly increase 

 the vividness of the impressions, and nothing 

 would be more natural than that the Sylvan 

 prophet, secluding himself in this retired part of 

 the wilderness, should recognize this likeness, and 

 should at once regard the promontory as a great 

 manito. His people would be led to regard it as 

 such, and the celebration of feasts upon the point 

 would readily follow. With a mound-buUding 

 people, this would result in the erection of suit- 



