98 Spencer ami Walcott : 



SuKFACK Incisions and Cuts. 



On the greater number of specimens fine incisions and cuts 

 of varying shape and length are scattered, sometimes thickly, 

 all over the external surface of the bone. In many cases they 

 convey the impression that the whole surface of the bone has 

 been scratched by some sharp-edged or pointed implement. 

 They vary in shape from a straight line to a curve similar to 

 that of a boomerang. The short, straight, chisel-like incisions 

 are, as a rule, terminated abruptly at one end, where the in- 

 cision is deepest, as are also some of the longer ones. These short 

 incisions are seen in specimen Fig. 2, Plate XXXVI., the frac- 

 tured head of a femur, and several of them immediately adjoin 

 and are parallel to the lines of fracture. In one or two cases 

 they terminate in a slightly marked bifurcation. 



The shallow surface incisions, as a general rule, occur in large 

 numbers when they are present at all. In addition to these 

 there are (Figs. 10, 11, Plate XXXVI.) more detinite cuts, or 

 gashes, of a V or wedge-shaped form in cross section, which have 

 penetrated the bone to a greater depth than in the case of the 

 ordinary incisions, but they are comparatively seldom met with. 

 In some cases (as in Fig. 8, Plate XXXVI.) the cut has been 

 made at such an anpjle that it has resulted in removing a slice 

 from the bone surface. 



Outs Pknktrating the Bone, and Resulting in Fracture. 



In the large collection of bones, every bone save two phalanges 

 being in a fractured condition, there are a certain number of 

 special interest, because the nature of their fractures affords, 

 we believe, a clue to the Avay in which these were produced. 



Some few of the bones (such as Figs. 12, 15, 1 6, Plate XXXVI.) 

 have fractures displaying no features of such a nature as to 

 suggest that they have been produced by any special agency. 

 The tooth, for example, of any animal strong enough for the 

 purpose, might have caused such a fracture as any one of 

 these shows. On the other hand certain bones are fractured in 

 such a definite way as to indicate tha-t they have all been sub- 

 jected to similar treatment by some special agency. A very 

 good example is seen in Fig. 4, Plate XXXV IT., which we may take 



