4<d The Prehistoric Hunter. 



From the existence in these shell-heaps, or " kitchen-middens," of 

 the bones of the cod, herring, flounder, and eel, we may infer that 

 these fishermen had boats, made like the Esquimo kyak, of seal- 

 skins; or, more probably, they used dug-outs, hollowed by the 

 action of fire and the cuts of their stone axes and gouges. In these 

 they ventured on the sea to take these fish. They also hunted the stag, 

 the roe, the wild boar, urus, wolf, fox, lynx, beaver, seal, and otter, 

 for the bones of these animals are found in the kitchen-middens, split 

 lengthwise with flint tools, whose marks are seen on them. They 

 thus extracted the marrow from the bones and the brain from the skulls. 

 The bones of the hare are wanting. Perhaps, like the Laplanders 

 of our day, they had superstitious notions concerning this animal 

 which prevented them from slaying him. 



The bones of the animals of the kitchen-middens are gnawed 

 dog-fashion, showing that the dog now first appears as the com- 

 panion of man. He was also man's victim, for his skull is often 

 found split open so that his brain could be eaten. Let us give 

 these people the credit of supposing that they sacrificed one of 

 their own household only on great ceremonial occasions, as is the 

 case with our Indians. 



The Hunter and Angler of the Lakes. 



Far more interesting than the remains in the kitchen-middens 

 are the relics found at the bottom of the lakes of Switzerland, 

 Germany, France, and Italy. During the winter of 1854, tne water 

 in the Swiss lakes sank to a very low level, and gave the dwellers 

 along the shore the opportunity of adding to their lands by building 

 walls along the low water-line. During these constructions at Meilen, 

 on Lake Zurich, stone, bronze, and bone implements and fragments 

 of pottery were brought to light. The tops of piles were also 

 found, and this led to the discovery of the habitations of ancient 

 men. They lived in dwellings built on piles, somewhat after the 

 manner of savages in Venezuela and in some Polynesian and Asiatic 

 Islands. Similar dwellings are inhabited by certain African tribes 

 in Dahomey and in Lake Mohrya. Even in our own country there 

 is a lacustrine village at St. Malo Pass, near Lake Borgne, Louisiana, 

 where dwell Malay fishermen from the Philippine Islands.* 

 * In " Harper's Weekly," March 31, 1883. 



