HARPOON-HEADS. 



25 



their state of preservation. Three have unilateral barbs, while five are barbed 

 on both sides.* The author designates these darts in the list of illustrations as 

 Knochenharpunen, or bone harpoons ; but in consideration of his remark that 

 reindeer-horn was nearly always used as the material for implements, it may lie 

 inferred that the darts in question also consist of that substance. 



He represents five of them, all of which are here reproduced as Figs. 24, 25, 

 26, 27, and 28.f The peculiarities of these dart-heads are sufficiently shown by 

 the illustrations, and having figured and described characteristic objects of the 

 same class from French caves, I may leave it to the reader to make his own 

 comparisons, in order to discover analogies and differences. Mr. Merk gives it 

 as his opinion that the dart-heads found by him served as the armatures of spears 

 which were only thrown at birds, a view which I feel disinclined to accept. 

 Some of them may have served in the fish-hunt. 



Fid. 29. 



Fio. 30. 



FIGS. 29 arid 30. Harpoon-heads of reindeer-horn (?). Kent's Cavern. 



In conclusion, I present in Figs. 29 and 30 delineations of two harpoon- 

 heads from Kent's Cavern, near Torquay, figured by Mr. John Evans in his 

 well-known work on the ancient stone implements, etc., of Great Britain. % 



" The harpoon-heads," he observes, " are of two kinds, some being barbed 

 on both sides, others on one only. Of the former kind but one example has 

 been found, which is shown in Fig. 403 (here Fig. 29). It lay in the second foot 

 in depth in the red cave-earth in the vestibule. Above this was the black band, 

 three inches thick, containing flint flakes and remains of extinct mammals ; and 

 above this again, the stalagmite floor, eighteen inches in thickness. It is, as 



* Merk : Dor Hohlenfund im Kesslerloch bei Thayngen (Kanton Schaffhausen) ; Mittheilungen der 

 Antiquarischcn Gesellschaft in Zurich, Vol. XIX, No. 1 ; Zurich, 1875; p. 28, etc. 



fin Mr. Merk's publication, respectively, Fig. 35 on Plate IV; Fig. 49 on Plate V; Fig. 48 on Plate V; 

 Fig. 94 on Plate VI ; and Fig. 25 on Plate IV. 



{ Figs. 403 and 404 on pp 459 and 400. 

 R4 



