302 ETHNOLOGY. 



bears considerable resemblance to certain " semi-lunar knives" figured by 

 Nilsson.* These Scandinavian forms are, however, usually of a toothed 

 or serrated edge, and are more decidedly curved than is the case with 

 figure 113. Although such specimens have not yet occurred, we doubt 

 not we shall be able to fiud knives of the true semi-lunar pattern before 

 the supply of specimens is exhausted in the localities which have 

 yielded so bountiful a series of stone implements of the various types. 



The chipped-jasper knives, figures 108-110, vary materially from 

 "flints" that have been designated "knives" by Professor Nilsson and 

 Sir John Lubbock ; still we think they are true knives. One consider- 

 ation to be borne in mind is, that there was scarcely a single instrument 

 which was confined to a single purpose ; and, as the modern pocket-knife 

 is frequently a combination of tools, so the chipped-jaspers had a multi- 

 plicity of uses. The edge being the prominent characteristic of the 

 specimens, cutting must have been the principal design in the making; 

 therefore, figures 108, 109, 110, are called "knives." 



Commenting on a collection of Indian stone implements forwarded to 

 him by the writer, from this neighborhood, (Trenton, N. J.,) Sir John 

 Lubbock remarks: "The absence of flakes and true scrapers surprises 

 me. How do you account for it? Is there no flint in the neighbor- 

 hood?" There is no flint in the neighborhood, and as jasper, slate, and 

 sandstone do not flake off as readily and conveniently as flint i^roper, 

 so we do not have in that abundance characteristic of European " finds," 

 true "flakes" and "scrapers," such as may have been fashioned by 

 almost a single blow; and so, too, our knives, if those implements which 

 we have here figured are such, have not a smooth edge as is produced 

 by a single plane of cleavage ; nevertheless, they would surely be effect- 

 ive for most of the purposes to which a knife of "flint" could be used. 

 As we have noticed, both sides have the surface equally chij)ped. !N"one 

 that we have seen are identical with the semi lunar knife found in 

 Sweden, figured by Professor !Nilsson,t but some few approach a shape 

 that might be termed semi-hinar. Occasionally a specimen is met with 

 that is concave on one side and convex on the other. In such instance 

 the outer, or convex, side has the cutting edge. 



Sir John Lubbock has figured^ an Esquimaux knife, that we can cer- 

 tainly duplicate without dilliculty, excepting the handle. Comparison of 

 figure 113a with that given by Sir John Lubbock, as quoted below, 

 will at once indicate the similarity, if not identity, of form. Many of 

 the more elongated leaf-shaped arrows which had lost their points, might 

 have been thus used, by placing the broken end in a bone handle, and 

 so converting the base and sides into the edges of a (double-edged) 

 knife-blade; but, besides these, we have occasionally met witli chipped 

 jaspers which were identical with Mr. Lubbock's figure above referred to. 

 Instead of being as thin and as nearly flat as an arrow-point, they had a 



" Stone Age, Eng. ed., pi. v, figs. 87, 88, «9. 

 t Stone Ago, pi. v., fig. 80, Eng. ed. 

 t Prehist. Times, p. 490, fig. 214. 



