[Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, 35 (N.S.), Pt. II., 1923]. 



Art. XIII. — Gylindrico-Conical and Cornnte Stones, 

 By GEORGE HORNE, M.D. 



[Read 14th September, 1922]. 



About three hundred of these stones, which have been dealt with 

 hy various authors, exist in our Museums in Australia, and probably 

 as many more may be found in private collections. They are roughly 

 circular in section and taper to a blunt point, while the base is 

 often cupped. Some are oval in section, and these are shorter in 

 length, and are curved to one side, comprising the cornute type. The 

 total length varies from three inches to thirty. 



The districts in which they are found are well defined, com- 

 prising the country drained by the Darling on the East over to Lake 

 Eyre on the West. This includes all the land of the Itchumundi, 

 Karamundi and Barkinji, as described by Howitt,i over to the terri- 

 tory of the Lake Eyre tribes, which include the Yaurorka, Ngameni, 

 Wonkonguru and Dieri tribes. 



These stones are very variable in their composition. Some ap- 

 pear to have been Shaped out of a mass of clay or kopi, as the 

 gypsum is called, others are chipped out of slate or sandstone, but 

 they may be laboriously worked out of felspar or quartzite. 



As a rule the surface is smooth but in some distinct markings 

 may be found. These may be divided into classes: — 



1. The tally marks, as the short transverse markings have been 



named. They may be in groups of two or three up to great 

 numbers, or they may be scattered all over the stone. 



2. Longitudinal marks. These sometimes are made haphazard 



over the stone, or* may be made singly or in pairs across the 

 shorter tally marks, as if crossing them out or grouping 

 them together. 



3. So-called emu feet or broad arrow markings. These are in 



any direction and may be well cut or simply scratches. 



4. Rings round the pointed end of the stones. These are not 



commonly found. 



5 Indiscriminate markings would include the rare radiating 

 grooves cut at the base of the stone, dints where the stone 

 has been used as a hammer, and similar traces. 



There have been at least five uses propounded for these stones: — 



1. Pounders. This has been the use to which many of them 



have been put. When one considers the habits of the abor- 

 igines one can quite see how any hard broken fragment would 

 be picked up for a hammer. 



2. Tooth avulsion. 



1. Howitt. " Native Tribes of South East Australia." 



