BY FRITZ NOKTLING, M.A., PHD. Ill 



"Eine Eiitgleisung." Literally, this word means "a derail- 

 ment" (of a ti'uck), but, metaphorically used, it is a polite 

 form of saying that the contents of a paper are scientifi- 

 cally without value ; in fact, that they are not worth the 

 paper on which they are printed. 



3. DID THE ABOEIGINES MAKE TEEO-WATTA 

 OF APPARENTLY INTENTIONAL FORM?— 



PL XVIIL, XIX., XX. 



I have repeatedly pointed out that one of the chief 

 characteristics of the tero-watta is the absence of every 

 intentional or conventional shape. The specimens here 

 described appear to be contrary to this rule ; at least, it 

 is very difficult to imagine that their outline is purely 

 accidental. If this be so. we may well ask : What do these 

 specimens represent? It is impossible to suppress the 

 notion that No. 1, PI. XVII., does not represent a four-foot- 

 ed animal ? The outline is sO' suggestive that any other inter- 

 pretation does not appear probable ; the two lobes repre 

 senting the feet are so thin and fragile that if they were 

 ever used for any purpose whatsoever where the slightest 

 pressure was required they would break at once ; yet they 

 are most carefullv chipped all along the edge. More curi- 

 ous still is, perhaps. No. 2, PL XVIII- The view that it 

 represents a double concave sci'aper, and that the bill 

 between the two concave edges is accidental, is at once dis- 

 proved by the fact that the point of the bill is carefully 

 chipped and rounded oflF. If we assume it to be a borer, 

 we may ask why was the point of the drill, which ought to 

 be sharp, carefully rounded off, and what would be the 

 good of such a short, rounded-off point when any sharp 

 splinter could perform the operation of boring much more 

 effectively ? If we go through the whole number of speci- 

 mens that have come under notice, we will see that in every 

 instance there are weighty reasons speaking against their 

 use as implements or tools, and equally weighty reasons 

 pointing towards the assumption that their outline is not 

 purely accidental, but is rather shaped to represent a cer- 

 tain object. If this view be correct, the specimens have 

 to be considered as figure stones, that is to say, stones 



