I wish to say a word concerning the ornamental character of this native vine. The foliage is bright green and very handsome. A figure of a single leaf is shown in [Plate 1], figure 2. This is reduced from a photograph taken with the leaf itself used as a negative. I have never detected a fungous attack or insect depredation on the leaves. The small dull-colored bluish fruits in loose panicles when abundant are somewhat ornamental. The vine is a vigorous grower and clings firmly to supports. Figure 4 shows a plant used for ornamental purposes growing on the south side of the Botanical Building at the Ohio State University. A figure from a still more vigorous specimen was shown by Mrs. Kellerman in Vick’s Magazine, January, 1900. This was made from a photograph of a specimen growing at the north porch of a residence in Columbus, Ohio. The same has been reproduced by Dr. Halsted in Bulletin No. 144 of the New Jersey Experiment Station. The species can be transplanted readily. One of the plants just referred to was dug up in June in Linn County, Kansas, and easily survived its rough treatment. Roots were taken from the Portsmouth plant in July this year and they are now growing and producing stems. We have repeatedly transplanted specimens that were grown from roots and from cuttings in the green house and always with success.

A word as to the synonymy should perhaps be given. The species was described by Michaux in 1803 under the name of Ampelopsis cordata. Persoon in 1805 proposed the name Cissus ampelopsis for the species. It was unfortunate that he did not retain the specific name, cordata; for there seems to have been no need of discarding that part of its name even if the genus had been originally misapprehended. Had he followed the most commendable usage of the modern systematists, he would have published the name in this form: Cissus cordata (Mx.) Pers. In 1811 Wildenow published the name as Vitis indivisa and here as before unnecessarily a new specific name was given. Many authors have regarded the plant as a Vitis rather than an Ampelopsis or a Cissus. We rely, however, on Dr. Britton’s authority and use the name Ampelopsis cordata, relegating the other names to synonymy.

KELLERMAN ON AMPELOPSIS CORDATA

Explanation of Plate 1.—Ampelopsis cordata. Figure 1: A herbarium specimen of twigs in fruit, from a photograph. Figure 2: A single leaf and tendril after a photograph direct from the same, reduced by the engraver. Figure 3: View of the station for the indigenous specimen at Portsmouth, Ohio; the Ampelopsis is in the center of the picture immediately above the bicycle. Figure 4: View of a plant growing on the south wall of the Botanical Building, Ohio State University; to the right of the door a portion of a Japan Ivy is seen.

THE BAUM PREHISTORIC VILLAGE SITE.
W. C. Mills.

The field work of the Ohio State Archæological and Historical Society was completed August 18. The explorations were a continuance of last year’s work at the Baum Prehistoric Village Site, which is situated in Ross County, Ohio, just across the river from the small village of Bourneville, and is located upon the first gravel terrace of the Paint Creek Valley. The village site surrounds a large pyramidal mound which was examined a number of years ago under the direction of the Smithsonian Institution of Washington. A complete report of the explorations is found in the 12th Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, 1890-91. At this time the village site was not explored but it was known to exist, as the following extract from the 12th Annual Report will show: “This mound is situated upon the edge of the first general bottom of Paint Creek, which though protected by a huge levee is annually inundated. In overflow times the smaller circle of the adjoining enclosure is almost entirely submerged, and the summit of the mound is the only land visible above a broad expanse of water. Around the mound upon all sides, particularly to the east, are traces of former Indian occupation. Numerous fragments of pottery similar in fabrication and ornamental feature to those found in the mound bestrew the plowed ground. These were intermingled with the valves of mussel shells, pitted stones, shell disks, human bones, arrowheads, pieces of perforated stone gorgets, and a large quantity of chipped flint.” Directly north of this village site, about one mile distant is the noted hill top enclosure known as Spruce Hill, which overlooks the valley of Paint Creek for many miles north and south. The hill on which this enclosure is situated is about 500 feet high, and is a long narrow spur projecting from the tableland and extending to the south.

The wall of this enclosure is composed entirely of boulders and broken pieces of sandstone which had been collected along the margin of the summit of the hill. These sandstones are the result of disintegration of the sandstone strata which is near the surface on the hill top. Directly east from the village site, a little more than 1300 feet, is what is known as the Baum works, which was surveyed by Squier & Davis in 1846. They described this work as the best preserved, and possessing gateways that are wider than those of any other earth-works found in this valley. They also made a survey of the mound which is situated in this village site and they described it as a large, square, truncated mound, with a base of 120 feet and having a flat top, with an area 50 feet square. The mound at that time being 15 feet high. They also say that quantities of coarse broken pottery were found on and around the mound. Thus it will be seen that the early investigators found pottery surrounding the mound and later explorations by the Smithsonian Institution show that the broken pieces of pottery found on the surface surrounding the mound were very much like the pottery found in the mound and placed with the buried dead therein.

The object of the investigations carried on by the Archæological and Historical Society is to show the connection between the occupants of the prehistoric village and those who built the mound. This has been done by carefully comparing the contents of this village site with the contents of the mound as reported by the Smithsonian Institution. So far, all of the pottery and implements of bone, stone, and shell that were buried in this mound, have been duplicated in great numbers from the refuse heaps, burials, and ash pits found in the village. The village entirely surrounds the mound, but on the east it is more extensive and occupies upward of five acres of ground.

The work of examining the village site is very laborious. Every portion or particle of the earth to a depth, on the average, of two and one-half feet is carefully dug over with small hand trowels, and every particle of bone, shell or stone is carefully removed and examined. The contents of the ash pits are screened so that no implements or ornaments may be lost. The whole village site is platted, laid off in sections thirty-six feet square, which square is again laid off into sections four feet square. In this way every find is carefully located upon the map. This year the work was conducted east and north-east of the mound. Here the post-molds of their little tepees were found in abundance. Their fire-places usually were placed just outside of the tepees, and their refuse pits near at hand, and near by we found the burials. A series of photographs, showing the manner of burial and the close proximity of the burials to the ash pits and tepees, were carefully made. At one time seven skeletons were exposed within an area of fifteen feet square. Within this space two ash pits were found and one row of the post-molds, showing the relation of the little home to the burial ground. The manner of burial is shown by the photographs taken of the seven skeletons exposed at one time, showing that they had no definite manner of placing the bodies, as some were buried at right angles to each other, some were placed at full length, and lying upon the back, while others were placed upon the side; in still other cases the body was evidently doubled up and then buried. A great number of skeletons of babies were found in the ash pits, showing that the already dug ash pit was the most convenient grave for the little ones, who was then covered with ashes, consequently the skeletons were perfectly preserved. With a great number of the adult skeletons were found implements of bone, such as awls, hoes, celts, arrow and spear points of stone, beads and ornaments of shell and bone; but with the skeletons of children varying in age from four to twelve years were found the greatest number of ornaments made of shell and bone. In one instance a large gorget made from the marine univalve Strombus gigas about two and one-half inches in diameter, was found upon the skeleton of a child six years of age. In another more than two hundred beads and ornaments of shell and bone were found upon the skeleton of a child not over seven years of age. In another grave a child not over four years of age had buried with it, what at one time was no doubt, a necklace made of elk teeth, perforated for attachment. In two instances the graves of children were carefully covered over with slabs of slate. With those children whose graves were carefully covered no implements or ornaments of any sort were placed. Of the sixty-three skeletons found, not a single perfect piece of pottery was found buried with them, differing greatly from the Madisonville Prehistoric Cemetery near Cincinnati, for at the latter cemetery quantities of pottery in their perfect state was found, buried with the skeletons. The pottery, implements and ornaments at Madisonville can be readily dedicated from the village at Paint Creek.