426 CERTAIN OBJECTS OF UNKNOWN SIGNIFICANCE, 



even, in default of a better stone near at hand, used it for grind- 

 ing seed. Be that as it may, it is evident the stone was never 

 intended for a sharpening or grinding stone, because where- 

 ever the signs of wear exist there all traces of the decorative 

 marks have disappeared, and the originally smooth and rounded 

 contour of the stone has been in a measure destroyed. The marks 

 remaining on this stone are the usual short cuts arranged in pairs. 



It seems to me contrary to everything we know of our aborigines 

 to suppose they would, for days perhaps, employ themselves in 

 cutting out, smoothing and decorating a piece of sandstone, and 

 then immediately set to work to destroy the shape and obliterate 

 the decorations by using the object as a grinder. 



It is worthy of notice that, as this stone is the only one of the 

 series which has undoubtedly been used as a grinder of some sort, 

 so from this one only have any of the decorations been removed, 

 thus indicating plainly enough what would have been the appear- 

 ance of the other specimens had they been so used. 



Weight, 41bs. 2ozs. 



No. 5 (PL XVI. fig. 2) is in the Australian Museum, and was 

 found near Ivanhoe in the County of Mossgiel, N.S.W. It is of 

 sandstone, and very similar in shape to the preceding specimen. 

 Its height is 41-3 cm , and the greatest circumference is 22'7 cm. 

 In addition to a number of long and short parallel cuts scattered 

 over the surface irregularly, a gash 14 cm. in length runs from 

 about 6 cm. from the apex. Starting from the top of this line a 

 number of very short and faint scratches have been made on 

 either side of it. Then, at about equal distances from one 

 another, appear four sets of well marked parallel gashes from 3 to 

 4 cm. in length on either side. Below these, and about 16 cm. 

 from the base, is a groove which runs right round the stone. On 

 the opposite side of the stone, and near the apex, appears a rather 

 large "broad-arrow."' In addition to this large "arrow," several 

 smaller ones are scattered over the stone until, near the foot, we 

 find quite a number of very small ones joined together in a 

 perpendiculai- line — the point of one arrow touching the shaft of 

 the next. The base is concave. The stone, although it was 



