214 Marcou— Stone Hammers of the Ancient Americans. 



found at Pikermi, is intermediate between tlie two species which 

 live in Africa; it has the skull of one, and limbs nearly identical 

 with those of the other. Another species agrees closely with the 

 rhinoceros now inhabiting Sumatra. 



Hipparions were extremely abundant in Greece. M. Gaiidry has 

 determined 1900 fragments ; the comparison of all these species has 

 led him to perceive almost insensible gradations between them, and 

 to refer them to but one species. 



The wild-boar of Erymanthia is intercalated with species already 

 knoAvn in Tertiary strata. 



The giraffe of Attica forms a link which imites the living giraffe with 

 fossil ruminants. 



Pikermi is the first locality where great numbers of fossil ante- 

 lopes have been discovered ; they are allied to species living at the 

 present day, thus the Tragocerus resemble the goat in its horns, 

 although it is a true antelope ; the Palmoryx has horns like the Oryx, 

 but differs from that genus in its molar teeth ; the Palceorcas ap- 

 proaches to the Orcas by its horns, and to gazelles by other characters. 



M. Gaudry states that Pikermi is not the only locality where 

 these fossil remains have been found, but that they are distributed 

 over the whole countrj^ He has di'awn up tables, showing the 

 geological range of all the species.— Compies Bendus, Feb. 19, 1866. 



n. — On some Stone Hammers of the Ancient Amekioans, used in 

 THE Working of the Copper anb Native Silver Mines of 

 Lake Superior, 



By M. J. Maecou. 



AT one of the workings, called the " Mine de la Compagnie du 

 Nord-Ouest," at Point Kievenau, some excavations were dis- 

 covered, which indicate that this locality has been largely worked 

 by the Indians. In these old workings were found a great number 

 of stone hammer-heads of an oval or elliptical shape, weighing about 

 two or three kilogrammes, and formed of such hard rocks as lepty- 

 nite,^ quartz, and porphyry. These hammers are heavy and difficult 

 to handle, being only employed to break very hard rocks, and as no 

 specimens set in hafts have been met with, the means employed by 

 the Indians for fixing and using them is not known. 



M. Marcou, however, states that, when crossing the prairies many 

 years ago, he noticed in the possession of the Kioway Indians (the 

 wildest and most uncivilized of all the tribes in North America) 

 one of these stone hammers set in a handle. The hammer head was 

 composed of quartz, and weighed about two kilogrammes, it was 

 much worn, and one of the ends was chipped ; it was bound to a 

 handle with a strip of bison skin. — Comptes Bendus, Feb. 26, 1866. 



^ Composed of quartz and felspar. 



