1883.] Anthropology. 1203 
shapes which are rapidly vanishing from the soil. The difficulty 
of making out the shape is very great, owing to the action of the 
elements and the hand of civilization. The figures are thus 
divided: First, those representing inanimate objects, such as 
weapons, badges and various emblems which are familiar to the 
native races ; second, animal effigies as such, using the word ani- 
mal in the sense of four-footed beasts, and all creatures inhabit- 
ing the water or land belonging to the order of Mammalia ; third, 
the effigies of birds and winged creatures. Another division 
might also be added, and made to include fishes, reptiles and such 
creatures as have neither wings nor legs. Then follows a detailed 
enumeration of the forms in these classes. Mr. Peet has an orig- 
inal way of mixing up his figures, being almost as bewildering as 
some of the effigy mounds; they run Fig. 5, I, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8,9, 
24, 25, 10, 13, 11, 12, 14, 18, 16, 17, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 30, 26, 
27, 28, 29. 
Professor Butler describes a visit to Aztalan, and speculates 
upon the method in which the bricks there found were burned. 
His account of the copper implements in the State Historical So- 
ciety’s Museum is valuable. The professor is quite a wag in his 
Way, and is unable to repress himself even in serious company. 
Tron FROM Ouro Mounps.—In the Proceedings of the Ameri- 
can Antiquarian Society, Vol. 1, 1883, p. 349, Professor F. W. 
Putnam reviews the statements of the old writers respecting 
metal found in the Western mounds. Mr. Atwater’s iron-bladed 
sword, or dagger with a steel blade, is traced to that gentleman's 
imagination. Mr. Hildreth’s silver-plated copper ornaments are 
thus characterized: “ A careful study of the Hildreth specimens 
Pounding and rubbing, and by turning the edges over and under 
the slightly concave edge of the copper foundation. This method 
nam having found fragments of the “ Man with a broken ear. 
The method of producing these curious objects has been nk e 
studied out by the author. The next idol to be upset is Dr. Hil- 
dreth’s “ plate of silver, which appears to have been the pA 
Part of a sword scabbard.” This is shown to be identical wi 
ornaments found by Professor Putnam in Tennessee moun 
found j und in the 
: a mass of materials from the altar of a mo 
ttle Miami valley, and made by hammering a mass of serari 
on in the same way that masses of silver and copper were 
