11 AMERICAN MUSEUMS 43 



There remain two other weapons figured above, d and 

 m, characterized by the deep square serrations. These 

 are formed of obsidian and are Irom California, to which 

 State they appear to be confined. In a Californian 

 magazine. The Land of Sunshine (Oct. 1899), Mr. 

 H. C. Meredith gives figures of a number of very 

 remarkable forms of these deeply serrated obsidian 

 weapons, some curved like a broad bladed knife, others 

 shaped like an Australian boomerang, while some are bent 

 at right angles. They arc about two or three inches long, 

 with one end formed to be fastened to a handle, and 

 would then be a very formidable weapon to throw in an 

 enemy's face. There are also some fine obsidian spear- 

 heads, four and a half inches long. Mr. Barr, of Stockton, 

 has a very fine collection of these obsidian weapons of 

 varied shapes, especially the curious " curves." They have 

 been found only in the central valley of California. 



From these we j^ass to more perfectly formed barbed 

 arrow and spear-heads, such as 

 the three examples in Fig. 8, 

 the exceedingly broad and deli- 

 cate type on the right being 

 from California. These very 

 small arrow-heads are often 

 formed of agate, jasper, corne- 

 lian or other gem-like stones. fig. s. 



Among the very interesting 

 forms of arrow-head are those represented in Fig. 9, in 

 which the two faces are bevelled off on opposite sides, 

 so as to produce the effect of a slight screw or twist. 

 In some cases the whole arrow-head appears to be twisted, 

 probably owing to a favourable grain in the stone. 

 These specimens have been found in the ancient mounds 

 of Wisconsin, Ohio, Georgia, and Alabama, and seem to 

 have been designed for the purpose of giving a rotation 

 to the arrow about its axis, thus counteracting any slight 

 curvature in the shaft and producing a straighter flight. 



The next set shown in Fig. 10 are flat and finely chipped 

 tools of uncertain use. The upper one, a, was of a black 

 flinty material from Oregon and was fourteen inches long, 



