Putnam.] 
218 
[May 18, 
some of these vessels the salamander, which is fairly modeled, is 
on the surface of the broad flat handles on opposite sides, in oth- 
ers they are placed between the handles, and in still others they 
take their places. In all, the head of the salamander is on the 
edge or lip of the vessel, and in one or two it is even carried over 
a little on the inside, similar to some of the conceits on Japanese 
pottery. The four legs and the tail of the animal are bent so as 
to rudely give an artistic effect, and the potter who conceived the 
idea of thus decorating common cooking vessels probably had an 
artistic feeling above the common standard. 
A few other forms of vessels are represented by single specimens 
such as an ordinary pot attached to a hollow stand a few inches 
high ; two vessels joined together one above the other, the upper 
without a bottom ; and a flat, oblong dish with handles at each 
end. The salamander ornament, and the character of the broad 
flattened handles may be said to be the principle peculiarities of 
the pottery thus far found in the cemetery. In general character 
and finish, it is unlike the dark pottery of the Missouri type, 
but it evidently belongs to a corresponding period in the develop- 
ment of the art, and approaches both the Missouri type and the 
Michigan-mound type, so far as we can judge from the few speci- 
mens yet known from the latter region. 
Pipes of various shapes, cut from several kinds of stone, some 
slightly carved, have been found with the skeletons and under 
the leaf-mould, as have also various implements of stone, — partic- 
ularly chipped arrow-heads, knives, drills, polished celts, hammer- 
stones, etc. ; but I believe that not a single grooved axe has yet 
been found in the cemetery proper, although they are common in 
all the regions about. Numerous bone implements, and some 
shell and copper ornaments have also been found with the skele- 
tons. 
It is, however, to the singular “ ash-pits ” that have been dis- 
covered in this cemetery that I wish to call particular attention, 
and it was to their examination that I gave the greater part of 
my time. 
These ash-pits, as they have been well named, are circular exca- 
vations in the hard-pan of the plateau, from three to four feet 
in diameter and from four to seven feet deep from the surface of 
