IDS THE ABORIGINES OF POKTO RICO [eth. ANN. 23 



Spucimen e niio-ht more properly be called a stone ))o\vl than a mor- 

 tar, although its function may have been that of the latter. It is made 

 with great care and shows skill in processes of stoneworking not 

 inferior to that exhibited in the manufacture of stone rings or of 

 thi-ee-pointed idols. 



Another object./', is a fragment of a stone collar broken at the fer- 

 rule, evidently put to use secondarily as a pestle, the two extremities 

 showing marks of such use. Several specimens of broken collars 

 or of broken three-pointed stones that have been used secondarily as 

 pounding- implements occur in all large collections from Porto Rico. 



Plate XXIX. ti and 7). represents the upper and lower surfaces of an 

 (wceptionally tine fragment of a stone mortar of the Neumann collec- 

 tion. Evidently it was originally a stone trencher of ci'cscentic form, 

 with liandles at each end. Whether this object was used as a mortar 

 or a platter is not possible to determine, but the fact that it is of stone 

 leads to the belief that it had the former use. 



The hemispheric objects shown in this plate, t; and d, are interpreted 

 as rubbing stones. Their flat surface is smooth, as if worn so by con- 

 stant use. 



The specimen figured as < is one of the finest specimens of stone 

 mortars in the Meriiio collection. Its form is elongated and pointed 

 at one end, where the rim rises in a low projection. The surface of 

 the concavity closely follow s that of the exterior of the vessel and is 

 fairly smooth. 



Plate XXX. If, illustrates a type of stone implement, several speci- 

 mens of which occur in collections of prehistoi'ic Poi'to Rican objects, 

 but the function of which is unknown. The illustration shows the 

 specimen from one of the flattened sides, the l)rcadth being nearly 

 double the thickness. The base is flat and smooth, and the handle of 

 about the same diameter throughout, with the tips bifurcated, the two 

 extensions or horns being slightly curved. Various forms of stone 

 impli'inents of somewhat similar character are also shown (fj, c, and /?). 

 The^' are all more or less triangular in proflle. rounded on the faces, 

 and more or less flattened. One edge commonly shows evidences of 

 rubt)ing. as if it had been used as a polishing implement. The speci- 

 mens are made of difl'erent kinds of stone and are as a rule rough and 

 undeco rated. Specimen " was collected by the author, while h. <\ and <l 

 are in the Latimer collection. 



Beads and Pendants 



The caciciue (iuacanagari gave to Columl)us a string of 800 beads of 

 stone. (Hill, and mention of these ornaments is frequently found in 

 early writers. There are several specimens of stone l)eads in the 



