30 THE JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY. 



abroad. Since most of these so-called gravel implements of 

 Europe are also doubtless the rejects of manufacture resemblances 

 were readily found. The early attempts to utilize these rejects 

 in support of the theory, and make them masquerade creditably 

 as "implements" with specialized features and self-evident 

 adaptation to definite ice-age uses, now appear decidedly amus- 

 ing. Gradually, however, the lines have been drawn upon this 

 early license, and it is to-day well understood by all careful 

 students, that since the rude forms are so often repeated in 

 modern neolithic refuse, the only reliable test of a gravel 

 " implement " is its occurrence in the gravels in place. That a 

 particular " implement," said to have been obtained from the 

 gravels, is of " paleolithic type," does not in the least strengthen 

 its claims to being a bona fide gravel implement ; nor does its 

 easy assignment to a " type " give any additional value to the 

 collector's claim that the gravels said to contain it are implement 

 bearing. The very names, "rude implement," "paleolithic 

 implement," etc., carry with them a certain amount of mys- 

 terious suggestion ; one thinks of unique, significant shapes and 

 of strange, archaic uses. At their mere mention, the great ice 

 sheet looms up with startling realism, and the reindeer and the 

 mighty mammoth appear upon the scene. The reader of our 

 paleolithic literature is led to feel that these antiquated objects 

 carry volumes of history in their worn and weather-beaten faces, 

 but this is all the figment of fertile brains. These objects have 

 without exception the appearance of the most commonplace 

 every -day rejects of manufacture without specialization and 

 without hidden meaning. They tell of themselves no story 

 whatsoever, save that of the oft - repeated failure of the abor- 

 iginal blade maker in his struggle with refractory stones. This 

 will be shown with greater clearness farther on. 



But the scheme does not end with the repetition of a Euro- 

 pean state of affairs. Our gravel archeologists have not been 

 content to adopt that feature of the foreign scheme which 

 utterly destroys the paleolithic race before a higher culture is 

 brought upon the scene. It was thought to improve upon the 



