24 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LTNNEAN SOCIETY 



is fastened by having two holes drilled through the stone, and 

 tying the stone and handle together with fibre. Many of the 

 handles are beautifully worked in various devices. Others appear 

 to have been fastened to long sword-like pieces of wood by being 

 morticed to it at one end. Stone hatchets have been found in New 

 Zealand mounted in the same manner, and formed most formidable 

 weapons when used in the same way as Javelins were used. The 

 " Meri " of New Zealand, I am led to believe, was carried in the 

 hand, having one or more holes drilled through it with the object 

 of attaching it to the wrist of the wearer by a strong cord. These 

 " Meris " appear to have been passed from tribe to tribe. Generally 

 they were made of the finest green stone highly polished, and must 

 have taken almost a generation to make, but others have been made 

 of a hard pebble stone, and were of the same shape and similarly 

 used. 



New Guinea seems to possess two distinct forms of this weapon. 

 One of my specimens is in the form of an adze of large size, let 

 into an angled handle, and is used only, I am told, for cutting 

 canoes. The other is a small rather square stone angled at either 

 side of the cutting margin which is always curved. The convexity 

 of the curve being set away from the handle. 



The implements found in Australia proper vary considerably in 

 the stone used, as well as in the workmanship. Usually they have 

 been made of the flat elongated pebbles, found in the beds of many 

 of our Australian water courses ; but from facts which have come 

 under my notice, it appeal's to me that the tribes resorted to certain 

 localities in their various districts for the purpose of collecting and 

 grinding these stones. I know of two places where the rocks in 

 the neighbourhood have been worn on every side by grinding 

 the hatchets, so deep indeed are these marks that they must 

 have been the result of many years work. But in addition to 

 grinding them in these places the natives evidently carried about 

 with them stones for rubbing up and sharpening the edges. 

 Specimens of these stones I now show you. 



It is very remarkable, also, that all the specimens I have 

 shown from the coast tribes are exceedingly rude and only 

 polished at the cutting edge, while those from the interior are 



