264 ON CERTAIN TYPES OF STONES. 



preserved from erosion by being buried underground. As 

 many lumps of ochreous earth are found at the old camps, 

 and as it is known from records that our natives made 

 use of this as a pigment when pounded and mixed with 

 grease, it is evident that some of these flat stones were 

 used for breaking down the lumps upon, which accounts 

 for the dints in their centres. The other specimens that 

 I have were all found upon the surface, and having been 

 exposed for so many years to the action of wind and 

 rain, it is not at all remarkable that no traces of colour 

 should be found upon them. 



The strangest looking specimen is one that was ob- 

 tained from the neighbourhood of the Upper Mersey, 

 and appears to be the half of an irregular oval stone 

 which has been fractured; the piece measures 4^ in. x 

 3^in., and varies in thickness from i^in. at one edge to 

 ^in. at another. It weighs lib. iioz. A portion has 

 been split off from each side, but not from the end, so 

 that the semi-circular part of the circumference which re- 

 mains projects each side in an ear or " lug," giving the 

 stone a very fantastic appearance. This ''lug" projects 

 about %in. on one side, and rather over ^in. on the 

 other. The circumference which remains has been 

 worked by chipping or hammering. 



Besides these I have the segment of an exceptionally 

 large and heavy stone of the flat type; this portion 

 measures about 5^in. across at circumference, and 

 tapers to a blunt end; the thickness varies from i^in. to 

 I in., and the weight is 3lbs. loz., so the original must have 

 been of a great size. The edges have been worked as 

 usual, but in addition they appear to have been subjected 

 to some kind of smoothing process, as if rubbed with 

 water on another stone. The flat surfaces, too, have 

 smooth streaks across, as if produced by rubbing upon 

 another surface. This appearance may, however, have 

 been caused by the friction of the loose dry sand upon 

 which the fragment was found. 



The material of all specimens of both types appears to 

 be diabasic, which is so frequent on this coast. The 

 usual colour is a light grey flecked with numerous small 

 dark fragments, the fresh fracture showing a bluish tint. 



