apparently no feature copied from nature or from
ideographic art. Two or three distinct implements have been used.
A part of the neck ornament was made by rolling back and forth a
circular tool, a _roulette_, the edge of which was notched. A row of
indented nodes has been produced upon the exterior surface of the neck
by impressing upon the inside the end of a reed or hollow bone about
one-fourth of an inch in diameter. Patterns of bold, rather carelessly
drawn lines cover the body and seem to have been made by trailing,
under pretty strong pressure, the smooth point of a stylus--probably
the bone or reed already suggested. Some of the larger indentations
upon the lower part of the neck may have been made by the same
implement held in an oblique position. The use to which this vessel
was applied can hardly be guessed. It was found with the remains of
its owner, and probably contained food or drink.

[Illustration: FIG. 456.--Vase: Davenport, Iowa.--1/3.]

Another smaller vessel from the same locality and found under similar
conditions shows the same characteristics of material, form, and
ornament. There are also a few other fragments of the same ware
from this group of mounds. One of these shows that decoration by
the indentation of twisted cords was practiced here as elsewhere. A
similar vase tastefully decorated with indented lines about the neck,
and a band of decoration consisting of broad, plain, sinuous bands
upon the body, comes from a mound in Scott County, Iowa. Height six
inches, diameter the same. The rims of all these vessels are square on
the edge, showing the full thickness of the walls.

[Illustration: FIG. 457.--Vase: Wisconsin.--1/2.

[_National Museum._]]

A very interesting vessel obtained by Captain Hall from a mound in
Wisconsin is represented by a number of large fragments, probably
comprising about one-half of the walls. It must have been somewhat
larger than the vase given in Fig. 456, and in a general way resembles
it closely. It appears to be more pointed below than the other, and
has a slightly flaring rim. The walls are one-fourth of an inch thick.
The paste is coarse and is tempered with sand, as in the cases already
described. The lower part of the body is covered with nearly vertical
cord marks. The upper part was smoothed, rather rudely, for the
reception of additional decoration, which consists of several bands of
indented figures. The principal implement used was apparently a stif