﻿56 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  eighths 
  inches 
  long 
  by 
  seven 
  eighths 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  wide. 
  The 
  broad 
  

   surface 
  is 
  flat, 
  the 
  other 
  two 
  forming 
  a 
  ridge 
  at 
  their 
  junction, 
  mak- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  implement 
  triangular 
  in 
  section. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  sHght 
  tapering 
  

   toward 
  the 
  point, 
  which 
  is 
  formed 
  by 
  a 
  quick 
  curving 
  of 
  the 
  edges. 
  

   The 
  base 
  is 
  a 
  little 
  contracted, 
  and 
  depressed 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  side, 
  

   with 
  slight 
  notches 
  for 
  attaching 
  it 
  to 
  a 
  handle. 
  The 
  material 
  is 
  

   bluish 
  striped 
  slate, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  near 
  Brewerton 
  on 
  the 
  Oneida 
  

   River. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  132 
  is 
  also 
  reduced, 
  and 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  similar 
  article 
  a 
  little 
  wider 
  

   and 
  much 
  shorter; 
  the 
  length 
  being 
  four 
  and 
  seven 
  eighths 
  inches. 
  

   The 
  base 
  is 
  shorter 
  and 
  more 
  contracted 
  than 
  the 
  last, 
  and 
  the 
  point 
  

   not 
  as 
  quickly 
  curved. 
  This 
  is 
  also 
  of 
  striped 
  slate. 
  It 
  was 
  found 
  

   near 
  Brewerton, 
  and 
  also 
  on 
  low 
  land. 
  

  

  The 
  two 
  just 
  described 
  came 
  from 
  low 
  ground, 
  and 
  are 
  somewhat 
  

   discolored 
  in 
  this 
  way, 
  specially 
  on 
  one 
  surface. 
  They 
  are 
  as 
  finely 
  

   polished 
  as 
  other 
  implements 
  of 
  striped 
  slate, 
  and 
  in 
  excellent 
  pres- 
  

   ervation. 
  No 
  signs 
  of 
  use 
  appear 
  upon 
  them., 
  and 
  they 
  may 
  have 
  

   had 
  little 
  more 
  than 
  an 
  ornamental 
  character. 
  

  

  AMUIiETS 
  

  

  Bird 
  and 
  bar 
  amulets 
  are 
  very 
  rare 
  south 
  of 
  Ohio, 
  nor 
  are 
  the 
  

   latter 
  frequent 
  anywhere. 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  former 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  

   Virginia, 
  one 
  in 
  Pennsylvania, 
  and 
  one 
  in 
  New 
  Jersey. 
  The 
  latter 
  

   one 
  has 
  projecting 
  ears, 
  and 
  is 
  four 
  and 
  one 
  half 
  inches 
  long. 
  They 
  

   reach 
  Wisconsin 
  on 
  the 
  west, 
  and 
  occur 
  sparingly 
  in 
  New 
  England. 
  

  

  The 
  theories 
  about 
  their 
  use 
  seem 
  fanciful, 
  as 
  some 
  certainly 
  are. 
  

   Two 
  writers 
  assert 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  worn 
  by 
  married 
  or 
  pregnant 
  

   women 
  only, 
  and 
  many 
  have 
  accepted 
  this 
  statement. 
  Others 
  think 
  

   they 
  were 
  worn 
  by 
  conjurers, 
  or 
  fixed 
  on 
  the 
  prows 
  of 
  canoes. 
  It 
  

   is 
  enough 
  to 
  say 
  that 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  perforations 
  are 
  not 
  adapted 
  to 
  

   any 
  of 
  these 
  uses. 
  It 
  seems 
  better 
  to 
  class 
  them 
  with 
  the 
  war 
  and 
  

   prey 
  or 
  hunting 
  gods 
  of 
  the 
  Zunis, 
  some 
  of 
  which 
  they 
  resemble. 
  

   In 
  that 
  case, 
  the 
  holes, 
  of 
  whatever 
  kind, 
  would 
  have 
  given 
  a 
  firm 
  

   hold 
  to 
  the 
  thongs 
  which 
  bound 
  the 
  arrows 
  to 
  the 
  amulet, 
  a 
  matter 
  

   of 
  importance 
  in 
  an 
  irregular 
  figure. 
  

  

  