CERTAIN ABORIGINAL REMAINS, MOBILE BAY. 281 
About two miles from the northern end of the island, on the western side, 
about 75 yards from the river's bank, in dense cane-brake іп the swamp, is a sym- 
metrical mound a trifle more than 7 feet in height. Its circular base is about 56 
feet across. 
A number of excavations indicated the mound to be composed of a mixture of 
swamp-mud and small clam-shells (Rangra cuneata). No indication of its use for 
burial purposes was met with, and presumably its character was domiciliary. 
About one mile below the mound just described, on the same side of the island, 
is a clearing with frame houses upon it. About 250 yards in a southerly direction 
from the houses, on the cultivated ground, not far from the water on the west and 
contiguous to the swamp on the east, was a mound, circular in outline, 3 feet in 
height and 87 feet in basal diameter. 
As this mound, composed of a large percentage of shell (Rangza cuneata) 
mixed with tenacious muck, is regarded as a stable refuge in high stages of the river, 
its demolition was considered inadvisable. Permission, however, was granted to dig 
most of the mound, leaving the margin undisturbed and solid against wash of water. 
Therefore, a central portion 50 feet in diameter was dug out by us and subsequently 
refilled. 
In two places, at least, masses of lime reduced from the shell by fire, were 
encountered. "Throughout the mound, very sparingly, were bones of lower animals, 
including teeth of alligators. Тһе usual dwelling-site material was present, in- 
cluding hones of ferruginous sandstone, pebbles, pebble-hammers, smoothing-stones, 
a pebble roughly chipped to a eutting edge at each end, and a tine of stag-horn 
sharpened at the end, like a narrow chisel. 
Fragments of earthenware were not markedly numerous. Тһе ware graded 
from inferior to excellent, some shell-tempered, some not. Decoration, when present, 
was incised, or the small check-stamp, or showed curved imprints as if made by a 
finger-nail or a section of a reed. The head of a frog and the head of a duck, orna- 
ments from earthenware vessels, were met with, as were several loop-shaped handles. 
Human remains, all badly decayed, were abundant. No cranium was recovered 
in condition to preserve, though in several instances frontal parts showed no mark 
of compression. No burial lay deeper than 18 inches, while many were nearer the 
surface. In many cases were found bones thrown carelessly together as if from re- 
cent disturbance; but owing to the dark material from which the mound was made, 
being the same as that on the surface, it was impossible to say if recent digging had 
been done or not, the usual evidence, 2. e., material of a different color let into the 
mound, being absent in this case. y 
Many fragments of human remains, having the appearance of aboriginal dis- 
turbanees, lay scattered through the mound, and, in addition, near a number of 
skeletons, were disconnected bones having no relation to them. : 
Excluding these disturbances of bones, aboriginal or otherwise, there were 
present, in the portion of the mound dug by us, twenty-nine burials, as follows : 
36 JOURN. A. М. 8. PHILA., VOL. XIII. 
