1877.] Anthropology. 689 
laid in the excavation and covered with about one foot of earth; fires 
had then been made upon the grave, and the mound afterwards com- 
pleted. The bones had not been charred. No charcoal was found 
among the bones, but occurred in abundance in a stratum about one foot 
above them. Two other mounds examined at the same time contained 
no remains. 
Of two other mounds opened later, the first was circular, about four 
feet high, and fifteen feet in diameter at the base, and was situated on an 
elevated point of land close to the bank of the river. From the top of 
this mound one might view the country for many miles in almost any 
direction. On its summit was an oval altar, six feet long and four and 
one half wide. It was composed of flat pieces of limestone, which had 
been burned red, some portions having been almost converted into lime. 
On and about this altar I found abundance of charcoal. At the sides of 
the altar were fragments of human bones, some of which had been 
charred. It was covered by a natural growth of vegetable mold and 
sod, the thickness of which was about ten inches. Large trees had once 
grown in this vegetable mold, but their stumps were so decayed I could 
not tell with certainty to what species they belonged. Another large 
mound was opened which contained nothing. — W. C. HOLBROOK. 
CHRISTENING CEREMONY OF THE SEMINOLE Inp1ans.— The Semi- 
nole Indians, now inhabiting the Indian Territory, were formerly in the 
habit of performing the following. ceremony at the christening of their 
male children: At about the age of fourteen the boy was setatchad or 
incised, with a sharp flint, six times on each arm and leg, the length of 
the incisions being about a foot. If the subject flinched or cried out, 
e was given an insignificant name, and was not considered worthy to 
be a warrior; but if he bore the operation manfully he was given a 
high-sounding title, and was destined to become a great man in the 
tribe. — E. A. BARBER. 
= MAN 1N THR PLIOCENE IN America. — The evidence, as it stands 
to-day, although not conclusive, seems to place the first appearance of 
Man in this country in the Pliocene, and the best proof of this has been 
_ found on the Pacific coast. During several visits to that region, many 
_ facts were brought to my knowledge which render this more than prob- 
able. Man at this time was a savage, and was doubtless forced by the 
= reat volcanic outbreaks to continue his migration. This was at first to 
~ the south, since mountain chains were barriers on the east. As the na- 
tive Ee of America were now all extinct, and as the early man did 
not bring the Old World animal with him, his migrations were slow. I 
believe, n moreover, that his slow progress towards civilization was in no 
Small degree due to this same cause, the absence of the horse. 
_ Tt is far from my intention to add to the many theories extant in re- 
gard to the early civilizations in this country, and their connection with 
the . — or later Indians ; but two or three facts have 
Ib. X1.— 
