FowKE] USES OF "turtlebacks." 139 



im Thurn, the various Indian tribes of Guiana have each their special 

 manufacture and exchange with other tribes.' Tylor says: 



Till lately the Putagonians, when they came on their journeys to a place where 

 suitable flint or obsidian was to be found, would load themselves with a supply of 

 lumps to chip into these primitive currier's scrapers. - 



Both Jewitt^ and Evans'' say that stones of this character were used 

 as sling-stones; but there is no evidence that North American Indians 

 ever used slings. Speaking of similar stones, Tylor remarks : 



They were used cither as knives or scrapers ; with the curved aide upwaM (or out) 

 there would be no danger of cutting a hide in skinning game, and they could be 

 used to cut up the flesh; while by putting the pointed end in the handle they could 

 be used as scrapers.'' 



The smoothed edge in so many specimens substantiates the last 

 statement, while the theory that they are unfinished implements finds 

 support in the fact that nearly all the nodules from which they are 

 made have an ellipsoid form, and the present shape of the implement 

 would I'esult from chipping away the useless weathered surface to 

 lessen the weight. 



Smaller chipped Implements. 



Materials and Modes of Manufacture. 



In the remaining portion of this paper, which will treat of the smaller 

 chipped implements, a plan somewhat different from that of the pre- 

 ceding part will be followed. 



As already stated, these specimens are almost invariably made of 

 some form of flint; this term including chalcedony, basanite, jasper, 

 chert, hornstone, and similar rocks. So common is its use tliat the 

 term "flints" is gradually being adopted as a name for all the different 

 classes of arrowheads, knives, drills, etc. The exceptions are not 

 numerous enough to justify separate classification, so no tables of mate- 

 rial will be used. Further, the great abundance of such relics in all 

 portions of the country makes useless any allusion to the number from 

 any particular locality; about the only limitation to their discovery is 

 the amount of time and care which one chooses to give. 



Before entering on the description, some quotations may be given in 

 regard to methods of making these chipped implements. 



According to Evans, the Mexican Indians take a piece of obsidian 

 in the left hand and press it firmly against the point of a small goat- 

 horn held in the right, and by moving it gently in ditterent direc- 

 tions they chip ott' small flakes until the arrow is complete;*^ they also 



' Journal Anth. Inst. Gt. Br. and Ird., vol xi, p. 447. 



'^ Anthropology, p. 245. 



3Jewitt. Llewellyn: Grave-mounds anci their Contents, p. 121. 



* Stone Implements, p. 374. 



»0p. cit., p. 245. 



*Stone Implements, p. 36 (from Craverl). 



