THE FACE, 



Altuougii the existence of aboriginal earthworks in the Western country has 

 been known for ahnost a century, no mounds of imitative design intended to 

 represent animal figures were observed, until a very recent period, when the terri- 

 tory now constituting the State of Wisconsin jjegan to attract the attention of 

 emigrants. This was in the year 1836, and I then made known through the 

 newspapers of the day the fact of the existence of the '■' turtle-mound" at Prairie 

 Village, now Waukesha, and of other animal effigies at various places. Since that 

 time every opportunity has been embraced to make examinations and surveys of 

 these highly interesting relics of the past, which have been thus not unfrequcntly 

 saved from oblivion. In some instances, they were destroyed immediately or 

 within a few days after my survey. 



The American Antiquarian Society having placed at my disposal the means of 

 paying the actual travelling and other expenses, these investigations were greatly 

 extended; and the results arc now presented, in the hope that they may have 

 their use in the settlement of many archa3ological and ethnological questions of 

 great interest and importance. 



But little effort has been made to construct hypotheses in explanation of the 

 facts observed, or by an extended comparison Avith the results recorded by others, 

 to arrive at general conclusions. The want of extensive collections of books and 

 other facilities at the West may long prevent our inquirers, here, from entering 

 upon such speculations. 



My office has been faithfully to fulfil the duties of the survej'or : to examine 

 and investigate the facts, and to report them as much in detail as may be neces- 

 sary; leaving it to others with better opportunities, to compare them, and to 

 establish, in connection with other means of information, such general principles 

 as may be legitimately deduced. 



I. A. Lapham. 



Milwaukee, Wis. 



