RELICS OF THE STONE AGE IN NOVA SCOTIA—PIERS. 51 
These so-called “plummets ” or “sinkers” are very rare 
in Nova Scotia, Dr. Gilpin figures one in his paper on the 
stone age. There are but two in the Patterson collection : one, 
3°75 inches long, well-shaped, with a pointed lower end, being 
from Annapolis County ; the other, two inches long, quite light 
in weight, with a rounded end, from Lunenburg County. There 
are none in the collection in the Provincial Museum. Dr. Bailey 
in his “ Relics of the Stone Age in New Brunswick,” figures 
four or five which had been found in that province, 
It is worthy of remark that the sides of such specimens as I 
have examined, exhibit more or less a tendency toward com- 
pression, as has been already noted of oneexample. This slightly 
flattened form was probably intentional. Dr. Patterson’s 
Annapolis “ sinker” has been ground down in one or two places 
on the side, but I have not found any others in this condition. 
I may say that although all specimens are carefully fashioned, 
and of the same general appearance, yet they differ much among 
themselves in detail of form. In no case have I noted any with 
a hole for suspension, although such would have been a more 
secure method of hanging them had they been used as weights 
for fishing-lines. 
These pear-shaped objects have long perplexed archeologists 
who have attempted to define their use. We find them variously 
denominated sling-shots, sinkers for fishing-tackle, stones used in 
playing some game, personal ornaments, sacred implements for 
performing some religious ceremonies, plummets, spinning- 
weights, ete. 
In a paper entitled “Charm Stones; Notes on the so-called 
‘Plummets’ or ‘Sinkers,” Dr. Lorenzo G. Yates has presented 
the very interesting results of his investigation into the uses of 
such implements. For reasons given in the paper, he discards 
all the stated theories on the subject, except that relating to 
their employment in sorcery. 
A Santa Barbara Indian, California, when asked by Mr. 
H. W. Henshaw why one of these stones could not have been 
used as a line sinker, replied with much common sense, “ Why 
