13 

 L. PIECES OF GLASS. 



M. MAGIC OR SACRED STONES. 



This is a" very peculiar group of the Tasmanian stone 

 implements, and consists of watcrworn pebbles, mostly of 

 Diabas, which were subjected to a very rough treatment. 



a. Flat boulders, showing a rough indented deprea- 



sion in the centre of cither both or one face 

 only. The edge is frequently very much bat- 

 tered. 



b. Flat boulders which have been subjected to a> 



considerable amount of grinding. 



N. HAMMERSTONES. 



Spherical pebbles of Diabas, more or less battered all 

 over the surface. 



O. PIECES OF RED OCHRE. 



P. UNFINISHED REJECTS AND BROKEN IMPLE- 

 MENTS. 



Q. SPECIMENS FOUND IN NATIVE QUAKKIES. 

 These naturally include all the groups above mention- 

 ed. 



R. SPECIMENS WHICH HAVE BEEN EXPOSED 

 TO THE ACTION OF FIRE. 



This classification distinguishes, therefore, 17 

 main groups, or, if we omit group P, the 

 broken and unfinished specimen group, Q, those found 

 in quarries, and R, and distribute them among the 

 others, there remain 14 main groups divided in- 

 to 55 classes and subclasses- This may, perhaps, seem 

 somewhat astonishing, considering the limited pui-poses to 

 which these primitive implements were applied, but I can- 

 not sufficiently lay stress on the fact that the above classi- 

 fication is a purely artificial one. Some sort of classifica- 

 tion or system is indispensable in order to master this 

 chaos of forms, and the above is the outcome of several 

 attempts. "Whatever its faults may be, and they are pro- 

 bably numerous, it has one great advantage, it is elastic. 

 New classes can be added to the main groups, and even 

 some of those now existing can be cancelled without mate- 

 rially altei'ing the whole system. If it is borne m mind 

 that various groups and sub-groups pass so imperceptibly 

 into each other it would, perhaps, be better to reduce their 

 number. It is difficult to decide whether such a course 

 would be advisable or not. 



