The Naturalists’ Companion. 
The Mound-Builders. 
theory, but only wish to say, that owing 
BY HARRY F. THOMPSON. 
The origin and the makers of mounds 
has ever been a question of great import¬ 
ance to archaeologists, and still remains 
clouded. 
Many theories,—in fad: too many— 
have been advanced. Each new theory 
causes discussion. It is universally be¬ 
lieved that there are mounds whose 
makers were members'of an extind race 
of men,and there are also mounds wdiose 
makers belong to what we call Indians. 
In fad, the mounds ereded by the latter 
are too often attributed to the former, 
but very seldom the reverse. 
Several years since, Dr. Metz, who 
has done some remarkable work for 
the Peabody Institute, in the exploration 
of mounds in Ohio, opened a mound 
near Reading, Hamilton county, Ohio, 
which was found to be stratified, and- 
built over four circular “poskets.” Why 
so built, is another question that arises, 
as to the origin and purpose of the 
mounds. 
These stratified mounds are undoubt¬ 
edly the work of an older and greatly 
different race of people than what we 
term Indians, for, as Mr. S. T. Walkei 
says, in the Smithsonian report for 1883, 
“We must remember their inadaptibili- 
ty to concerted and continued effort.” 
He further says, “For if the large mounds 
were the gradual growth of ages, and 
varied by successive additions, by many 
generations, we can readily understand 
and accept the theory of their being 
the work of the modern Indian.” 
Put we must first prove whether or 
not they aie “the gradual growth of 
ages.” 
We do not desire to advance anv 
to the rapidity, and in some cases un¬ 
called for, of wholesale destru6tion of 
mounds, that some ])ro] er solution 
must soon be reached or the question 
be gone forever unsolved, unless llie 
States buy in, for luture investigation, 
noted works of archstology. 
Long-billed Marsh Wren. 
Large numbers of these birds nest on 
the salt meadows of Long Island. They 
prefer a low bush, but sometimes build 
in meadow grass. The nest, made of 
coarse sedges, etc., firmly interwoven, 
cemented together, and lined with soft 
stuffs, is not exactly spherical, but longer 
in its perpendicular diameter. It is usu¬ 
ally fastened to the bush or grasses firmly, 
about three feet from the ground or water, 
as the case may be. It has one hole in 
the side for entrance and exit, and usu¬ 
ally does not have any preceptible pro¬ 
jecting edge over the hole. Of more 
than three hundred nests examined, not 
more than ten had the j^rojecting edge ; 
six were double, (i. e., one connected 
above the other ;) two had the holes in 
the sides; and one had the hole in the 
top, all containing eggs. The usual 
number of eggs is four or five. Of over 
three hundred eggs collected, all were 
in sets of four or five, except one set of 
six, and two of three. When the eggs 
are laid they are covered with a bunch 
of fine grass, when the bird leaves the 
nest of her own accord. When she is 
in the iiest the grass nearly fills the en¬ 
trance. They lay from the early pait 
of June to the last of July, and while 
some nests contain young birds others 
are not comi)leted.— Oologis'J'. 
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