RELICS OF THE STONE AGE IN NOVA SCOTIA—PIERS. 35 
spicious bevels, thus forming the edges. The specimen is 
unlabelled, but all of the implements in the collection of which 
it forms part are understood to have been found in Nova Scotia, 
Ground stone implements of this kind are extremely rare in the 
provinee. Dr. J. B. Gilpin in his account of the stone age of 
Nova Scotia (7ransactions N.S. I. N.S., vol. iii.) mentions an 
arrow-head which was polished like a celt and made of hardened 
slate ; and a spear-head also of slate, similarly fashioned, is 
referred to in my account of the aboriginal remains in the 
Provincial Museum. ‘These are all which have come to my 
notice. 
Before passing to the next class, | may repeat that I consider 
it extremely unlikely that the implements now under notice 
were actually used as spear-points. Arrow-shaped implements 
more than 2775 inches in length, have been denominated 
spear-heads in this paper more from the general custom of 
archzeologists than my own inclinations. Lescarbot makes no 
mention of spears as one of the weapons of the Micmacs or 
Souriquois of his day, although he enumerates with a good deal 
of detail their other implements of war, such as bows and arrows, 
and clubs.* This negative evidence has not been sufficiently 
noted. It is far more probable that most of the so-called 
spear-heads and leaf-shaped implements found in Nova Scotia, 
are knives. Our Micmacs had stone tools for fashioning bows 
and arrow-shafts and for skinning animals, and yet they are 
seldom recognized by collectors. This indicates that the Indian 
knife has been confounded with some other implement which it 
resembles. “Collectors are very ready,” says Dr. Rau, “ to class 
chipped stone articles of certain forms occurring throughout the 
United States as arrow- and lance-heads.” Sach has been much 
the habit of our local writers. The spear-shaped implements must 
be considered as being fairly adapted for cutting. The Pai-Utes of 
Southern Utah, up to the present time employ as knives, blades 
* Rey. John Mecklenburg, or as he classically wrote his name, Johannes Megapol- 
ensis, in his Short Account of the Maquas Indians in New Netherland, written in 1644, 
also makes no mention of spears as weapons of war among the Indians of that locality. 
He speaks of bows and arrows, stone axes and mallets. 
