POLISHED STONE ARTICLES USED BY THE NEW YORK ABORIGINES 31 



superficial perforation at the top and bottom. Fig. 240 is a small 

 pipestone ornament found with a skeleton near Onondaga Lake. 

 There are two perforations. Fig. 242 is a flat oval ornament of 

 common slate, perforated at the small end, and found on an Onon- 

 daga site of 1600. Fig. 243 is a small pipestone ornament from 

 Cayuga, with converging sides. It is notched along the edges and 

 perforated. Fig. 244 is similar, but parallel sided, and comes from 

 Pompey. Fig. 245 is a flat serpent form of soft greenish slate, and 

 part of the back has been cracked off. A well defined head and 

 scales remain, as well as the general outline. It is much curved 

 horizontally, is three and seven eighths inches long, and probably 

 very early. 



A turtle totem of grey stone came from an early cache in Cayuga. 

 It had projecting head, feet and tail, and was perforated for suspen- 

 sion. A frog of green slate, found in Canajoharie Creek, is well pro- 

 portioned and carved, but seems recent. A disk of green sand- 

 stone from that vicinity has on it a tree, 1774, and W. H. K., and 

 such inscriptions are not rare. A curious hatchet shaped stone 

 found there, has a fine wolfs head in relief. A remarkable orna- 

 ment is from Belleville, Jefferson County. It has on it what seems 

 a ship, and also a fish with feet. It is of red slate, and much like 

 other recent articles. 



With all the vigor of their ornamental work it is commonly easy 

 to distinguish that done by the aborigines from that of the white 

 man, with a moderate experience, and quite as readily may recent 

 work be distinguished from that which is earlier. Little touches 

 make the difference. In some places there are scores of small peb- 

 bles adorned with designs, and probably made and used by Indians, 

 but they are almost always recent work. On the great subject of 

 these distinctions we need not enter now, merely calling attention 

 to it. 



HAMMER STONES AND MULLERS 



Stones with pits or cups are found throughout the world, and 

 much has been written on their uses. Many of them were undoubt- 

 edly hammer stones, specially when made of small pebbles, easily 

 used in this way. Even these, however, are not alike, and other 



