I874-75-] IQ 9 



his personal observation. Mr. Gray further explained that he ap- 

 plied the term " flint flake " only to certain forms of flint, the 

 characters of which prove them to be the result of human work- 

 manship, and as such differ from mere flint chips. Every true 

 flint flake will have — ist, a flat, more or less, conchoidal face, with 

 a bulb known as the bulb of percussion at one end, the other end 

 generally tapering to a point ; 2nd, a flat end over the bulb of 

 percussion, being a portion of the flat face that received the blow 3 

 and 3rd, on the back of the flake there must be one or more 

 ridges, and two or more facets or inclining surfaces. The combi- 

 nation of these essential features proves design : being the result of 

 a series of operations that could not well be repeated so very uni- 

 formly without intention ; yet the processes are so simple they may 

 be often closely imitated by natural causes, and occasionally one 

 or more of the resulting features may be found on mere chips of 

 flint, and may lead a casual observer to doubt the artificial cha- 

 racter of all flint flakes ; but to persons who have given attention to 

 the subject the special characters of every true flint flake are as evi- 

 dently the result of human workmanship as a watch, a penknife, or 

 a pair of spectacles. 



In our flint flakes we have the evidence of various degrees of 

 manipulative skill. Some are extremely symmetrical and well- 

 formed, but the great majority of the flakes are apparently clumsy 

 failures, evidently the result of attempts to produce the typical 

 form of flake already described. Flint flakes include a very great 

 variety of forms, all aiming at one type, but varying according to 

 the nature of the material or the skill of the manipulator. Some 

 are large, clumsy lumps : some are so small and delicate, thin and 

 transparent, that they may be mounted as slides for the microsco- 

 pic examination of the organic remains in the flint. The latter 

 character is, however, an exception, for the flakes are chiefly opaque, 

 the exterior being converted into a kind of porcelain, which is 

 generally white, particularly in the specimens from open gravels ; 

 and as this crust is absorbent, the flakes become stained more or 

 less when in contact with ferruginous clays or carbonaceous de- 



