BONE IMPLEMENTS. 79 



come out of the same shape as our barbers' lancets, except 

 that they have a rib up the middle and have a slight graceful 

 curve towards the point." 



Thus it appears that the obsidian flakes were made, not by 

 blows, but by strong pressure ; and the same is the case with 

 the chert implements of the Esquimaux, according to the 

 description given by Sir E. Belcher.* "Selecting," he says, 

 " a log of wood, in which a spoon- shaped cavity was cut, they 

 placed the splinter to be worked over it, and by pressing 

 gently along the margin vertically, first on one side, then the 

 other, as one would set a saw, they splintered off alternate 

 fragments, until the object, thus properly outlined, presented 

 the spear or arrow-head form, with two cutting serrated 

 sides." A very similar account is also given by Lieutenant 

 Beckwith of the method used by the North American Indians, f 



Besides being employed for handling the stone axes, the 

 bones and horns of animals were much used as the ma- 

 terial of various simple implements, and those of the stag 



FIG. 94. 



Bone Awl Scotland. 



appear to have been preferred as being the hardest. The 

 commonest bone implement is the pin or awl (fig. 94) : not 

 much less numerous are certain oblong chisel-like imple- 

 ments (fig. 122), the use of which it is not easy to determine. 

 Ribs split open, and pointed at one end, are sometimes 

 found, and have been supposed by some archaeologists to have 

 served as netting rules ; while by others they are considered 

 to have been used in the manufacture of pottery. Bone 



* Trans, of the Ethnological Soc. New Ser. Vol. i., p. 138. 

 t Report of Explorations and Surreys of the Pacific Railroad, 1855. Vol. ii., 

 p. 43. 



