e carving, ancient or
modern, which have fallen under the notice of the authors," cannot be
identified further than to say they are raptorial birds of some sort,
probably not eagles but hawks.

Fig. 26 (Fig. 180 from Squier and Davis), according to the authors,
"certainly represents the rattlesnake." It certainly represents a snake,
but there is no hint in it of the peculiarities of the rattlesnake;
which, indeed, it would be difficult to portray in a rude carving like
this without showing the rattle. This is done in another carving, Fig.
196.

[Illustration: Fig. 25.--"Eagle," from Squier and Davis.]

The extraordinary terms of praise bestowed by the authors on the heads
of the hawks just alluded to, as well as on many other of the sculptured
animals, suggest the question whether the illustrations given in the
Ancient Monuments afford any adequate idea of the beauty and artistic
excellence asserted for the carvings, and so whether they are fair
objects for criticism. While of course for the purpose of this paper an
examination of the originals would have been preferable, yet, in as much
as the Smithsonian Institution contains casts which attest the general
accuracy of the drawings given, and, as the illustrations by other
authors afford no higher idea of their artistic execution, it would seem
that any criticism applicable to these illustrations must in the main
apply to the originals. With reference to the casts in the Smithsonian
collection it may be stated that Dr. Rau, who had abundant opportunity
to acquaint himself with the originals while in the possession of Mr.
Davis, informs the writer that they accurately represent the carvings,
and for purposes of study are practically as good as the originals. The
latter are, as is well known, in the Blackmore Museum, England.

[Illustration: Fig. 26.--"Rattlesnake," from Squier and Davis.]

Without going into further detail the matter may be summed up as
follows: Of forty-five of the animal carvings, including a few of clay,
which are figured in Squier and Davis's work, eleven are left unnamed by
the authors as not being recognizable; nineteen are identified
correctly, in a general way, as of a wolf, bear, heron, toad, &c.;
sixteen are demonstrably wrongly identified, leaving but five of which
the species is correctly given.

From this showing it appears that either the above authors' zoological
knowledge was faulty in the extreme, or else the mound sculptors'
abil