The Primitive Fish-Hook. 339 



sidered in relation to his pursuits, that in the early dawn of humanity, 

 mammals, birds, and fish must have been synchronous. 



After brute instinct, which is imitativeness, then came shiftiness 

 and adaptiveness. The rapid stride of civilization, considered in its 

 material sense, is due solely to the use of such implements as are 

 specially adapted for a particular kind of work. With primitive man, 

 this could never have been the case. Tools of the Paleolithic or 

 Neolithic age (which terms indicate stages of civilization, but are 

 not chronological), whether they were axes, hammers, or arrows, 

 must have served river-drift or cave-men for more than a single pur- 

 pose. People with few tools do manage by skill alone to adapt 

 these to a variety of ends. The Fijian and the Russian peasant, one 

 with a stone adze, the other with a hatchet, bring to their trades the 

 minimum of tools. The Kafir, with his assegai, fights his battles, 

 kills cattle, carves his spoons, and shaves himself. It was only as 

 man advanced that he devised special tools for different purposes. 



According to our present acquaintance with primitive habits, if 

 man existed in the later Miocene age, and used a lance or spear for 

 the killing of land animals, he probably employed the same weapons 

 for the destruction of the creatures — possibly of gigantic form — 

 inhabiting the seas, lakes, and rivers. The presence of harpoons 

 made of bone, found in so many localities, belonging to a later 

 period, may not in all cases point to the existence of animals, but to 

 the presence of large fish. 



Following, then, closely the advance of man, when his fishing 

 implements are particularly considered, we are inclined to believe 

 that he first used the spear for taking fish ; next, the hook and line ; 

 and, lastly, the net. There might have been an intermediate stage 

 between the spear and the hook, when the bow and arrow were 

 used. 



Interesting as is the whole subject of primitive fishing, we are, 

 however, to occupy ourselves principally with the form of the primi- 

 tive fish-hook. To-day there are some careful archaeologists who are 

 not willing to accept that particular form which is presented below. 

 I believe, from the many reasons which can be advanced, that this 

 simple form was the first device used by man in taking fish with a 

 line. The argument I shall use is in some respects a novel one. 



These illustrations, exactly copied as to size, represent a small 



