in the Western Ides of Scotland. 



173 



obviously a disadvantage, for in many cases attempts have been made 

 to remove it, or at least reduce its convexity by striking small flakes 

 off its apex (Fig. 5). It is bard to say wby, in view of this 

 disadvantage, the bulb end is constantly chosen for bevelling. This 

 seems, however, to be a character of many of the flakes in the 

 famous collections from the Culbin sands and Luce Bay in the Museum 

 of the Society of Antiquaries. Attempts to remove the bulb are not, 

 however, so marked in these cases. The explanation of the use of the 

 bulb end may possibly lie in the knowledge that the worker possessed 

 of the temper of the flint at that end, where he had already struck it. 

 The Colonsay floor has yielded a considerable number of flakes with 

 the bulb end re-worked, whereas we have succeeded in finding only 

 a single flake with secondary chipping at the opposite end, and this 

 one is actually worked at both ends. 



3. Among the secondarily worked flints are several of rather 

 varied shape which have their edges adapted for cutting or sawing. 



FlG. 4. Flint ' knives ' from Neolithic floor in the Sand-hills at Balnakard, 

 Colonsay. A. simple flake from core ; B. flake with secondary working. 

 Nat. size. 



The flakes used for this purpose all have one side flat and formed of 

 a single face of fracture, while the other is convex with several faces. 

 The secondary flaking by which the saw edge has been obtained has 

 all been done from the flat side towards the convex side, the result 

 being a certain amount of bevelling similar to that of the chisel-shaped 

 scrapers above described, but extending right along one or both edges 

 of the flake. A good example is shown in Fig. 4, B. 



4. Among the more uncommon types are a few notched flakes 

 which had obviously a very special use, such, for instance, as scraping 

 bowstrings. A natural nick in the flint has usually been taken 

 advantage of and enlarged by secondary chipping, so as to produce 

 a small crescentic bevel edge. The remaining edges of such a flake 

 may also show secondary chipping, as if it had served as well for 

 a saw or knife. 



5. Apart from a number of flakes which possess a point as a 

 consequence of the accidental intersection of faces produced when 



