74 



CERTAIN SAND MOUNDS OF 



It is interesting to note that while the discovery of a deposit of small perfora.- 

 ted animal effigies of clay is hitherto unreported within the limits of the United 

 States their occurrence in Mexico is mentioned. Clay images from Georgia figured 

 by C. C. Jones 1 bear no resemblance to the effigies from the Thursby mound. A 

 turtle of pottery has been taken from a Tennessee stone grave. 2 



Whether the animal effigies from the Thursby mound are representative of the 

 fauna of Florida or not it would be difficult to decide. The panther is still met with in 

 unfrequented places ; the bear is not uncommon ; skins of the otter are a consider- 

 able item among the exports of the State ; the wild cat makes the raising of domes- 

 tic fowl precarious ; the wild turkey (a separate variety in Florida) still gobbles 

 in the woods ; squirrels are seen on every side. The beaver was an article of diet 

 in the time of De Soto 3 and some remained so late as the journey of William Bartram. 4 



The existence of the dog on the St. Johns in prehistoric times is a matter of 

 uncertainty. On the north the shell-heaps of Georgia hold its remains, 5 while 

 Mexico on the south had a domestic animal resembing it. 6 



During the winter of 1892, the writer discovered a portion of the mandible of 

 a dog in a shell-heap near the St. John's River, Florida. Its species has not been 



Fig. <)7. Probably snapping turtle (full size). 



Fig. 6«. Unidentified (full size). 



1 Op. ait., page 480, et seq. 



2 Thruston, " Antiquities of Tennessee," page 1(1-5. 



'■'■ "Narrative of the Career of Hernando de Soto," Buckingham Smith's translation, page 132. 



4 " Travels." Dublin, 1793, page 277. 



S C. C. Jones, op. cit., page 196. 



" "Explorations of the Aboriginal Remains of Tennessee," Joseph Jones, M. I)., page 2B. 



