50 



PREHISTORIC FISHING. 



is a flat piece of bark, not quite three-eighths of an inch in thickness, and 

 pierced with a hole nearly in the middle. Fig. 51 shows a form like that of a 

 boat with truncated ends. In this instance a hole is placed near each extremity. 



i 



Fio. 50. Fio. 31. 



Figs. 50 and 51. — Bark floats. Robenhausen. 



The lower surface is flat, the upper one, seen in the figure, irregularly convex. 

 The two holes would have facilitated the sliding of the float along the fishing-line, 

 before fastening it at the desired distance from the hook. There are two bark 

 floats of this shape in the archaeological collection of the United States National 

 Museum, both likewise from Robenhausen. 



Fio. 52.— Eobenhausen. Fig. 53.— Robenhausen. Fig. 54.— "Arpion." 



Figs. 52-54. — Wooden implements used for recoveriug fishing-lines. 



In connection with the line-fishing of the lake-men I have to describe a 

 rather numerous class of simple wooden implements which bear much resem- 

 blance to the twirling-sticks used in making chocolate. They consist of a piece 

 of a small tree-stem with the stumps of the lateral branches projecting from its 

 lower end. Fig. 52 represents an object of this kind fi'om Robenhausen, which 

 is apparently much better preserved than others from the same locality.* I 



« Keller : Lake Dwellings; Vol II, Plate X, Pig. 12. 



