370 ETPINOLOGY. 



Btone, sliowing the grooves very distinctly, and witli a bole drilled at 

 one side of the end, opposite that which has the grooves or indenta- 

 tions. It is in the museum of Eutgers College, at New Brunswick, N. J. 

 This specimen is an ordinary sandstone pebble, four and seven-eighths 

 inches in length, two inches and a half in width at the grooved end, and 

 sloping from there to the opposite end, which is but an. inch in width. 

 There has been a slight rubbing down of the surface generally, which 

 is moderately smooth, and on one side are marks of a stone-hammer at one 

 point ; but no depression or cavity has been formed that would attract 

 attention. 



The interesting feature of the specimen, figure 213, is a series of deeply- 

 cut grooves, the majority about an inch in length, which extend from or 

 near the middle of the stone to the edge, running in an oblique direction 

 to the left. There are eight, parallel on each side of the stone, and so 

 arranged that, turn either side towards you, the direction of the grooves 

 is the same. 



We have seen no description or illustration of a stone implement cor- 

 responding exactly with this. 



Professor Nilsson* has given us one figure of a hammer-stone which 

 bears considerable resemblance to figure 213, and says that it has at its 

 edges " marks of the purpose to which it was formerly applied so unmis- 

 takably that, when once pointed out, no further doubts can be entertained 

 on the matter." This, we think, settles the question, and that, whatever 

 the resemblance, figure 213 is not a stone-hammer. Such regular grooves 

 as these cannot be called or considered marks of blows against some 

 hard brittle stone. When we come to consider "hammer" or " tool 

 stones," we will find a vast difference between the marks on this speci- 

 men, figure 213, and the relics we have figured as true stone-hammers. 

 Nor can these grooves be considered the natural result of use as a whet- 

 stone for sharpening skiuning-knives and kindred implements. They 

 are too close, regular, narrow, and short. 



When treating of breast- plates, wo saw that many of them were 

 notched, and concluded that such notches were records of battles, of 

 persons killed, or scalps taken. Stones such as that here figured are 

 placed in the same class, but with a query. It seems to us that the most 

 probable use of such stones was as records, and we think the fact of 

 having met with one that was perforated strengthens the view that 

 figure 213 is a "record-stone." Tlie other specimen in our collection, 

 however, is much more rude in finish, and has these grooves more scat- 

 tered about the margin. This rather combats the idea, possibly, of 

 these relics being record-stones, and so coming under thehead of orna- 

 mental objects. 



Figure 211 represents an oval, flattened cobble-stone, about four 

 inches in diameter and two inches thick. The under side has been 

 worn off until it is now a perfectly level plane. The margins are slop- 



* Nilssou ou Stoue Ago, pi. 1, fig. 11. 



